Richard Bender hails from a farm in Northeastern Indiana. He grew up in a region north of Fort Wayne near Auburn and attended Leo High School. His time in high school played a role in his motivation to become a teacher himself. Bender was highly...
Undergoing radiation treatments for many is a difficult test of courage. For one woman in the Region, however, her treatments brought her closer to a stranger in an unexpected manner. Shelly Sunderland was sitting next to a patient prior to their...
Dr. Pablo Bukata was born in Argentina. His family moved to the United States when he was two years old. He grew up in Illinois, then came to Lake County, Indiana, around the time he was six. He went to high school nearby but left the Region to...
Deanna Gallardo always thought she’d become a writer or editor. Life’s taken her down many paths, and she even spent some time as a dental assistant following her graduation from Indiana University Northwest (IU Northwest) in Gary. She worked at...
Ryan Peters is a commercial real-estate broker based in the Region. He’s the owner of StreetFront Real Estate. That’s not his only title, however, as he’s involved in the community in other ways, too, as the president of New Creations Men’s...
Desi Terpening grew up in Richton Park, Illinois, and attended Rich South High School. She’s lived in the Region since she moved to Indiana in 1989. She went to college for art and worked in downtown Valpo for 12 years as a photographic negative...
Juanita Segura was born and raised right here in the Region, and she still resides in her hometown of East Chicago, Indiana. She’ll observe her cancerversary this November, as it’s been almost exactly 10 years since she was diagnosed with lung...
Jeff Balon grew up just outside of Valparaiso. He spent his younger years living on a farm in rural Jackson Township but later attended Chesterton High School. He’s wanted a career in law enforcement since he was little. After graduating from high...
Megan Lawrence is from the Region. Today, she works at one of her alma maters, Valparaiso High School as an education teacher with a specialization in teaching for the school’s applied-skills program. It was called the Life Skills Program when she...
Daniela Mancusi-Shreve’s parents come from South Philadelphia. While she herself was born in Hammond, she spent her formative years growing up on the East Coast — specifically, southern New Jersey. There she grew up and became close with many of...
