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 of this Region, we’re able to learn a bit more about their experiences, and also what makes them so great to have around.
It’s special moments like these that we are particularly proud to share on the GreatNews.Life sites, including Life in the Spotlights, Survivor Series, Veteran Spotlight, Leadership Life, City in the Spotlight, Voices, and more.
In no particular order, here are the top 10 feature articles on Valpo.Life to recap the good news in 2023!
Cancer Survivor Series: Kelly Hooper
Kelly Hooper, resident of Crown Point, Indiana, has always gone in for her yearly mammogram. For a couple of years, Hooper had some issues and was told that she had dense breasts. Due to these issues, Hooper would have fluid withdrawn from her breasts.
“The last time, it seemed to be attached to a nerve that was bothering me,” Hooper said. “Plus, the texture of the left breast looked almost like the skin of an orange.”
#1StudentNWI: Jumping into January 2023 with Kouts High School
Wednesday, January 4 was the first day back for the students at Kouts High School (KHS). They were on Winter Break which started on Wednesday, December 21.
Now that the break is over, it is time to focus on the second semester. Study Tables, an after-school program where students can work on their class assignments and receive help, starts up again next Tuesday, January 10.
A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Roger Luekens
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 fulfilling the role of superintendent is bound to face different challenges with each new day. Roger Luekens’ life, for many years, followed that pattern. Even happily retired, he still finds the time to involve himself in the happenings of a few local schools about the Region.
From an early point in his life, Luekens was inspired by the right people. Growing up on the west side of Cleveland, Ohio, his years spanning the time between preschool and eighth grade were spent at Messiah Lutheran School. After that, he attended Lutheran High School West, which is where his passion for teaching was born.
#1StudentNWI: Wheeler High School’s successful & spectacular blood drive
At WHS, there are usually two annual blood drives that students, teachers, and parents can participate in. The first blood drive of the school year occurs around the month of October. The second blood drive occurs around February.
The NHS members can sign their friends, classmates, teachers, and parents up for the blood drive at different times. These members can also help work at the blood drive.
Veteran Spotlight: Leonard “Lenny” Corso
Vietnam Era Veteran Leonard Corso doesn’t know what his life would’ve been like if he hadn’t served as a Green Beret medic in the military. What he does know, though, is how much his service taught him, and for that, he’ll forever be grateful.
Corso grew up in Logansport, Indiana. Right out of high school, he tried to give college a go, but he had never been the best student – he had poor study habits and mostly earned C’s. Corso felt like he wasn’t ready for school and wasn’t sure what to do. Everything changed, though, when the draft came.
#1StudentNWI: Nothing but net and wins for Morgan Boys Basketball
On the night of January 21, the Morgan Township High School (MTHS) boys varsity basketball team took home the Porter County Conference (PCC) tournament win!
After a hard and grueling game against Westville High School, the boys came home with not only a trophy, but a great feeling of pride and accomplishment. All the boys on the team have put in hours, days, weeks, and months of time and intense training to get where they are.
#1StudentNWI: Finding Mr. VHS 2023
The Valparaiso High School (VHS) student council hosted its annual Mr. VHS pageant on Friday, April 28. The pageant consisted of four different rounds where senior boys competed for the coveted titles of Mr. VHS, second runner up, and best dressed. This year each round corresponded with the theme, Mr. Decades.
#1StudentNWI: Washington Township takes record-breaking amount of teams to Academic Team State Competition
In the 2023 Academic Team State Competition, Washington Township High School (WTHS) provided a record-breaking five teams. On Saturday, May 13, WTHS competed in Class 4 at Purdue University, West Lafayette, and did an outstanding job. This year's theme was “The Age of Exploration.”
The English Team competed first, which consisted of Katie Richardson, Owen Nichols, Drew Gschwind, Joshua Reeder, Breanna Flint, and Adysen Straw. The English Team earned fourth place in the competition, and has spent its year being taught by Coaches Ashley Leighty and Michele Jablonski, who have both put an amazing amount of effort into coaching.
A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Dr. Elizabeth Campbell
Dr. Elizabeth Campbell both serves as a partner-owner of and works as a pediatrician at Associated Pediatricians LLC. She lives in the Region, having spent her whole life here, first in La Porte and then in Valparaiso, which is where she is living and working today. Two years of her high school days were spent in her hometown, but then she went on to study at The Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities before going on to Depauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, for her bachelor’s degree.
The path toward becoming a certified healthcare professional is not a simple one. Campbell attended the Indiana University School of Medicine, where she attained her M.D. Immediately after that, she moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, and did her residency in pediatrics. For 15 years, she’s been visiting with patients in Valparaiso, seeing children at their earliest ages and helping them and their parents succeed in maintaining healthy lifestyles.
#1StudentNWI: College lunch visits at Boone Grove High School
For seniors and even some juniors, college is right around the corner. Luckily, Boone Grove High School tries to make things easy and efficient for everyone
For the past couple of months, Boone has been allowing a variety of different college representatives to visit during lunch. They are able to talk to anyone interested, answer college-related questions, and hopefully help anyone who needs it.