Life in the Spotlight

For Rose Marie, Outreach Coordinator for the Portage Township YMCA, being active and on-the-go was always a part of her life. Now she is able to share her passion for health and wellness with others in the Portage community. Marie was born and raised...

Giving back to one’s community comes not from a place to be recognized and patted on the back, but rather a desire to improve and better one’s home and the people who live there. For Cathi Srednoselac, Youth and Family Program Director for the...

Sports can offer a sense of community to many young kids as they grow up. The opportunity to be surrounded by other kids who hold the same passion and adults who want to see them grow into strong adolescents can teach kids how to be a part of a team...

“I can show them all of the parts of what they are doing,” said Susie Matejczyk, “but I can’t do it for them.” Matejczyk teaches at the Montessori Academy of Valparaiso. The Montessori style differs from mainstream education in that it...

Northwest Indiana native Danielle Walker Balek has lived in Northwest Indiana for most of her life. Balek was born in Hobart and was raised in Gary where she remained a part of the community until she was 21 years old. At 21 Balek decided to move to...

“You are special,” reads the note from Arianna Wilson of Portage, “and you are not alone either.” Arianna, who enjoys riding her bike and is looking forward to playing on her volleyball team this year, is an inspiration at only 17. She’s...

Discussions about schools often boil their makeup down to three main groups, students, teachers, and administrators. This lets a lot of the other people who play key roles in kid’s lives go underappreciated – like volunteer coaches, lunch staff,...

Kim Schmick is quite possibly one of Portage’s busiest women. From her job as a paralegal at Manning & Mouratides P.C, to spending every night at the softball field either coaching or fulfilling her duties as Portage Jr. Miss Softball’s...

When people can do what they love as they work and contribute to the greater good of the community, most people say they’ve found their dream. Carl Fisher is lucky enough to be one of those people. A retired superintendent and lifelong volunteer of...

“It’s a small town, with a big city attraction that has Midwest hospitality.” This is how Financial Advisor Devon Mulligan describes his town, Portage. He was born in Washington D.C., and after bouncing around the east coast, the Mulligans...