Stephanie Swearington is the project director for Insight, a program through Porter-Starke Services designed to identify and treat individuals who have experienced a first episode of psychosis. She was born and raised here in the Region and went through her undergraduate studies at Purdue University Northwest. After that, she worked in the field of psychology for about six years before eventually deciding to go back to school to get her master’s degree, getting one in healthcare administration from Valparaiso University (VU).
Even though she didn’t grow up in Valpo, having instead come up just south in Hebron, Indiana, the city is still most intriguing to her. Interested in community involvement, she spends a lot of time out in the community. She realizes it has a lot to offer, such as all of its parks and great restaurants. There’s something special to her about this area, and she makes sure that’s known to both her and those unfamiliar to all the places she’s proud to be around.
“It’s a great community to live in. Whenever anyone asks where I live, I don’t just say that I live near Chicago – I tell them I live in Valparaiso. If they don't know what that means, it gives me an opportunity to explain what’s here, where exactly we’re at, and what we have,” she said.
Part of the volunteering Swearington does is through her memberships on boards for Opportunity Enterprises (OE) and the Valparaiso Creative Council (VCC). VCC has completed several fantastic projects within these past two years, some of which she’s seen through, such as the murals downtown and the sculpture that will be going up next year at Flounder and Friends Skatepark. For OE, she was in attendance at the ribbon-cutting ceremony signifying the opening of Lakeside Respite Center.
A hard worker, Swearington spent the majority of her time after high school working full-time at First National Bank, helping herself all the way through college. Her classes would happen in the afternoons and evenings. Her education provided her with the tools she needed to get to where she is today, but her career path laid out for her the map she needed to follow to pick up all the skill-sets, knowledge, and experiences that have led her for the better.
As her vocation demands fair amounts of dedication to care and advocacy, Swearington relishes how she’s invited to display unto anybody and everybody how helpful all can be toward one another. It can sometimes be challenging educating people on how to properly proceed when dealing with unknown or foreign complications regarding psychosis, but she remains optimistic all the time since what she does is inspiring and impactful.
“Community education is critical work we do, and we have to explain to family members and clients the misconceptions about psychosis. Whenever we as people in this society have an opportunity to positively touch or influence the lives of others, that’s always very uplifting,” she said. “I feel like I’m a better person because of the work I do, and I think everyone can feel that way, too.”
Being the mother of two, Swearington adores her kids and seeks to inspire them. For starters, one reason she volunteers is because she wants to demonstrate to them the importance of giving back. She uses her understanding of the world to help guide them in the right directions, showing them the value of empathy, intelligence, and ways of supporting others. Some lessons are rooted in simplicity, but that doesn’t mean they won’t have effects that last the length of a lifetime.
“I always want to set a good example for my children, so I tell them there are two things that can never be taken away from you: your education and the knowledge you gain from experience,” she said.
Swearington has been with her husband for 16 years now. The truest of partners in everything, they adore each other in the same manner she does her children. She describes him as being her north during the times when she feels as if she’s unable to find her way. Really, too, she’s there for all of her family, including everything from visiting with them at holiday gatherings and helping them through medical matters.
What might not be widely known about her is that she loves music. She particularly enjoys heavy rock, like ’90s grunge and other genres. Recently, she’s been into this new band out of Europe called Slomosa. David Bowie is perhaps her favorite artist; she even lives by one of his many iconic quotes: “I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.”
In her free time, Swearington loves to garden. Oftentimes she’s reading a book. She appreciates the myriad of material available in the non-fiction world but is more invested in finding pleasure in the limitlessness of fiction. Hiking is a particular outdoor activity out of which she discovers enjoyment. Fittingly enough, considering her musical tastes, she and her husband regularly attend live shows.
Swearington serves. She’s been in the non-profit sector for 15 years. Throughout that time, she has acquired so much of a singular perspective on how communities can come together for greater causes. She’s befriended many people of different backgrounds, and all have changed her forever, pushing her to continue advocating for those who have been diagnosed with psychosis. Against a ticking clock, making a difference is the thing that matters most to her.
“I love my job and the people I’m always serving. I am helping to keep them from slipping through the cracks, which certainly can happen when they have to navigate something as huge as a new diagnosis,” she said. “We are never promised tomorrow, so we need to make today count.”