Northern Indiana is full of people working hard every day to make their communities a better place. Since 2011, GreatNews.Life has been putting the spotlight on the people spreading this positivity in the Region with our Life in the Spotlight series. New articles are published every Wednesday, so be sure to check back often to learn more about the stories of great people doing great things in Northern Indiana.
Kayla Pleasant, a current junior at Portage High School (PHS), has bolstered her educational journey through an extensive commitment to academics, sports, and extracurriculars. Fueling the greatest purpose within her schooling is her love of...
Genise Shumaker, a real estate broker at McColly Real Estate, found her passion in helping people find their dream homes. With a strong motivation to serve the community, Shumaker also uses her flexible schedule to partake in an abundance of...
From joining the Marine Corps, working at a steel mill, starting his own videography business, and live streaming city meetings for the City of Portage, Zernul “Z” Shackelford Jr. has been on a journey of pursuing his dreams. Growing up on the...
Jill Redmon, the district coordinator of Media Services for Portage Township Schools (PTS) embarked on a journey from teacher to media specialist. She contributes her professional journey to her unwavering love of education. Early in Redmon’s...
For Portage High School Senior Olivia Pierce, it has been a humbling experience to receive the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Porter County in 2024. “I'm so deeply honored and humbled to be part of this wonderful organization and...
For 24 years, Tim and Marcella Haupt have been teachers and coaches at Willowcreek Middle School in Portage, Indiana. The couple met through mutual friends while attending Ball State University. Now, they are working at the same school with each...
Michael “Mike” Sopko has been the principal of Kyle Elementary School for 10 years now, and his mind is continuously racing to find ways to make positive impacts on the lives of children and families in the community. When Sopko is not fueling...
There are so many amazing educators and workers at every school in Northwest Indiana. One position some may not have known about is the Dean of Students position at Willowcreek Middle School, a position Joshua ‘Josh’ Wissing is proud to call his...
Bill Kresal has become well-known around his community for his thoughtful heart and willingness to give back. Kresal has received a little help from his side-kick, his dog Billie, along the way. “There's so much to be said about what Billie can...
Doug Johnson is the assistant principal and athletic director at Willowcreek Middle School. Johnson jokes he moved to Northwest Indiana temporarily in 1997 when he started teaching geography and history and coaching hockey, golf, and baseball at Lake...
