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.
Traveling between a few classrooms to deliver her best as an educator, Jessica Kolar is one of the Region’s multilingual teachers. The population of people speaking different languages is spread out in Valparaiso, so she specifically travels to...
Dr. Brent Lakia’s been all about Northwest Indiana throughout his life. He was born in Methodist Hospitals on Broadway and was in the Merrillville school district until fourth grade. His family made a move out to Chesterton around the time of his...
For Kelly Green, teaching was always a goal that she knew she would one day reach. Green’s life started in the south suburbs of Chicago before she and her family moved to Chesterton, bringing them closer to beach access and the Indiana Dunes. “We...
Ben Polhemus’ journey is one of dedication and resilience driven by a deep desire to help those who need it most: people with disabilities. As the community outreach director at Liberty Bible Church, Polhemus works tirelessly to create a more...
Dr. Paul Sommer was just a fourth grader when his family moved to Valparaiso. He attended Valparaiso High School, and was a member of beloved coach Skip Bird’s swim teams. He graduated in 1979 after spending four years devoted to studies in...
Going from the stress of the kitchen to becoming a beacon of stress relief, Rebecca Von Feldt’s path is one of passion and reinvention. Von Feldt was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, but eventually moved to Chicago, Illinois, winding up in Valparaiso by...
Erin Gibson comes from Marshfield, a city in central Wisconsin, but came to Valparaiso in 1995 to attend Valparaiso University (VU) where she graduated with a bachelor’s in social work. Gibson initially thought she’d go into international...
While originally from La Porte, Indiana, Aidan Ross is currently a senior at Valparaiso University (VU) where he’s been up to big things both in and out of the classroom. Ross began his studies in the school’s sports management department....
Matthew Ringenberg moved to Upland, Indiana, a small town of about 3,500 people. He grew up there, attending Eastbrook High School. He also stayed in his hometown to study at the undergraduate level at Taylor University, a liberal-arts college where...
Lucas and Connor Taylor are brothers who come from Valparaiso and are currently students in high school and college respectively. The older brother, Connor Taylor, is on the pre-med track at Indiana University Northwest (IUN). His younger brother,...
