Elena Giorgi

It’s not everyday that you get to sit down with a cancer survivor, a military veteran, a change-maker in the community, or a thriving high school student and get a look into what it’s like to live in their shoes. By sitting down with the members...

Erika Robinson-Watkins has a strong sense of pride for the Region, especially her hometown of East Chicago. After spending some time away while at college, Robinson-Watkins realized she couldn’t stay away for too long.  Robinson-Watkins...

Mindy and Jeff Wallis laid roots in Valparaiso after developing a community of people and a sense of home.  Mindy and Jeff Wallis met while studying at Michigan State University, earning degrees in veterinary technology and veterinary medicine,...

Stacie Schuster was ready for a career change when her cousin, Renee Blosky, approached her about taking over Lifestyles, a unique gift store in Valparaiso’s historic downtown. After 27 years of working in the School City of Hammond, Schuster...

Sue Straatman sat in a doctor’s office in the Community Healthcare System (now Powers Health) Hospital Emergency Room next to her only son, Rob, when she received her ovarian cancer diagnosis in 2008. The team of five doctors sitting in front of...

Byron Faulstich moved his family from Plymouth to Valparaiso for a number of reasons, but the teaching and coaching positions at Wheeler High School simplified the decision. A Plymouth native, Faulstich received an associate’s degree from Marian...

Ivy Tech Community College offers a wide variety of programs for students of all ages to expand their knowledge and grow their skills. Whether completing a certification program or earning an associate’s degree, students of all ages can find the...

Donna Shane knew that she wanted to be an early elementary educator from when she was a young girl attending St. Mary’s Catholic Community School in Crown Point. “I had some profound teachers at St. Mary’s who have really shaped my attitude...

In October of 1966, Michael Chiarodo enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. By January of 1967, he was stationed in Vietnam to serve America in the Vietnam War.   “The Marine Corps was the only branch of service that I thought to...

Deborah “Deb” Butterfield’s family are Cherokee Indians, with a great grandparent having traveled on the Trail of Tears before settling in Oklahoma. Butterfield’s parents moved from Oklahoma to Indiana for work, and they began their lives in...