Philip Bolton is a valued member of the Great News. Life News Media Journalism team. He has been with the team for nearly a year, consistently bringing exceptional productivity and energy.
Bolton was homeschooled due to severe food allergies and an autoimmune disease called eosinophilic esophagitis. However, even with adversity he would still attend college and graduate from Valparaiso University.
“My parents, Warren and Jocelyn Bolton, didn’t want to send me to the local Catholic school because it didn’t have a nurse,” said Bolton. “That’s why they decided to homeschool me in the first place. I have two younger siblings, David and Amadi and they’re 17 months younger than me. My mom was the main one who homeschooled me. She worked with me on letters, shapes, numbers, and all the basics. When my siblings, the twins, were born, she decided to homeschool them too. After kindergarten and elementary school, she even put together our middle school curriculum."
Being Catholic was also an important part of his life. His parents instilled a sense of direction at home, and he learned even more at church.
"We did a lot of things like phonics and other foundational learning,” said Bolton. “When I started high school, since I was raised Catholic, my mom found an online school called Kolbe Academy. They’re based in Napa, California, but they offer an online program, too, so we went through that. She didn’t have to put together the curriculum anymore, but she still tailored it to focus on what she felt was important."
He was strictly homeschooled and enjoyed it, but his first experience in a traditional school setting was when he attended Valparaiso University.
"As it turns out, college was my first traditional school experience,” said Bolton. “My parents were both Catholics at our church, so I did attend religious education there, and that was kind of our social outlet through eighth grade, which was fun."
Initially, journalism was not his first choice. However, after searching for jobs, he eventually landed a position as a new media journalist at GreatNews.Life.
"I used to put together a little newspaper about things happening at home, based on whatever my mom found online,” said Bolton. “I guess the seeds of my interest in journalism were planted back then. However, I didn’t have a specific career in mind. After graduating, I started searching for jobs, and I initially applied for a videographer position, but when I met with the team, she suggested I might be better suited for a role as a News Media Journalist.”
One of the best perks of being a journalist for Bolton is that he gets to explore the Indiana Northwest Indiana Region more than he normally would, despite having lived there his whole life. This role allows him to discover new aspects of the area he hadn’t previously experienced.
"I’ve learned more about Northwest Indiana, and even parts of Northern Indiana, in less than a year at GreatNews.Life than I did during all my years living here in the Region,” said Bolton. “This experience has been eye-opening for me, and I’ve had the chance to meet so many amazing people—not just my coworkers but also those in the community."
However, that was not always Bolton's goal. In addition to his work at GreatNews.Life, he played the drums in a band called the B Sharps Trio with his brother and sister.
"I'm a drummer, and my brother and sister and I were in a band called the B Sharps Trio,” said Bolton. “It was a charity band; my brother plays the violin, and my sister sings and plays the piano—she's incredibly talented, as is my brother. We performed at places like nursing homes. Just for the record, we did have one professional gig, which I believe was our last performance."
Bolton is very close to his family, especially since his mother's passing, and he cherishes the memories they’ve created together while still getting to spend time with them occasionally. He also encounters many reminders of his mom that continue to resonate with him.
"I always miss my mom, but she lives on through my family and me,” said Bolton. “I see her presence in the world around me. When I first started at GreatNews.Life, my first two coverages were especially meaningful. The first was at Hildebrandt Hall, where my mom's funeral reception was held, although I couldn’t attend that event. The second coverage was at the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana, just down the street from the funeral home where we had her wake. Little reminders like that pop up often, and even during events like Life in the Spotlights, I’d talk with people and hear things that reminded me of her."
When he’s not working as a journalist, Bolton loves to play video games, particularly role-playing games like "Skyrim" and "Fallout". He also enjoys "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain" and pursues photography on the side, focusing on abstract images of glassware.
“Outside of work, I like to do abstract photography of glassware,” said Bolton. “I shine a light underneath the pieces and photograph them from a top-down angle, which creates some really interesting shapes. I don’t do it as much as I’d like, but I’ve thought about maybe selling the pictures on Etsy or an online website.”
He has some important things he would like to share with his former self.
"The biggest thing I would say to my younger self is to trust that everything will be okay,” said Bolton. “Even if you can’t see the dark times coming, just know they will arrive, but also trust that you’re made of strong stuff and that you can make it through."