Cristina Poole’s life has taken her down many different paths, each of them becoming quests of their own. Born in China, she was adopted the day before she turned one and has been staying and residing in the same house in Valparaiso ever...
Life after years of serving as a school superintendent is a lot more relaxing than the job itself. Tasked with addressing macro-and micro-level policies that need to be developed for the stability of whatever school district they oversee, the one...
Perhaps Trey Wiesjahn’s favorite part about the community of Valparaiso is also what makes his job so delightful — the wonderful environment it’s become after years and years of improvement. Once a community has the chance to build itself up,...
As a pediatric speech pathologist at Wee Care Therapy Ltd., Rachel Lieske’s life is wrapped up in selfless service for kids who deal with issues that hinder the full development of their communication skills. How she got to this point, too, is a...
There are numerous times in which the lives of those who are not out in the world, those not working some important-sounding job, get neglected and cast off to the sidelines. However, that should not be the case with one of The Region’s most...
Operating her own law practice and overseeing a small not-for-profit organization, Angela Crossin’s helpful work ethic has touched the lives of countless people in the Region, and the goodness doesn’t stop there. Hailing from Springfield,...
Serving as a pastor at Living Hope Community Church in Valparaiso, Rich Schmidt has been preaching in the Region for over 20 years. As he spent his boyhood between Kansas, North Dakota, and central Illinois, Schmidt’s journey of faith began...
Having recently ended a 16-year service on the Union Township School Board, and now actively serving on the Advisory Board for Healthy Families, a program that assists families with young children, helping them get a start on a good life, Julie...
Social Worker for the Valparaiso Police Department Samantha Burgett has been supporting the officers around her since September of 2021. Though she works in the Region now, she grew up and went to high school about an hour south. It was her...
Beginning her journey in life in Valparaiso, Indiana, and now serving as the president and owner of Creme de la Crop, Leann Sego has been doing incredible work in the Region for most of her life. After graduating high school, Sego attended the...
