Erika Robinson-Watkins has a strong sense of pride for the Region, especially her hometown of East Chicago. After spending some time away while at college, Robinson-Watkins realized she couldn’t stay away for too long. Robinson-Watkins...
Read MoreElena Giorgi
A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Erika Robinson-Watkins
A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Mindy and Jeff Wallis
Mindy and Jeff Wallis laid roots in Valparaiso after developing a community of people and a sense of home. Mindy and Jeff Wallis met while studying at Michigan State University, earning degrees in veterinary technology and veterinary medicine,...
Read MoreA Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Stacie Schuster
Stacie Schuster was ready for a career change when her cousin, Renee Blosky, approached her about taking over Lifestyles, a unique gift store in Valparaiso’s historic downtown. After 27 years of working in the School City of Hammond, Schuster...
Read MoreSurvivor Series: Sue Straatman
Sue Straatman sat in a doctor’s office in the Community Healthcare System (now Powers Health) Hospital Emergency Room next to her only son, Rob, when she received her ovarian cancer diagnosis in 2008. The team of five doctors sitting in front of...
Read MoreA Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Byron Faulstich
Byron Faulstich moved his family from Plymouth to Valparaiso for a number of reasons, but the teaching and coaching positions at Wheeler High School simplified the decision. A Plymouth native, Faulstich received an associate’s degree from Marian...
Read MoreIvy Tech Community College offers programs that alter students’ career paths
Ivy Tech Community College offers a wide variety of programs for students of all ages to expand their knowledge and grow their skills. Whether completing a certification program or earning an associate’s degree, students of all ages can find the...
Read MoreA Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Donna Shane
Donna Shane knew that she wanted to be an early elementary educator from when she was a young girl attending St. Mary’s Catholic Community School in Crown Point. “I had some profound teachers at St. Mary’s who have really shaped my attitude...
Read MoreVeteran Spotlight: Michael Chiarodo
In October of 1966, Michael Chiarodo enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. By January of 1967, he was stationed in Vietnam to serve America in the Vietnam War. “The Marine Corps was the only branch of service that I thought to...
Read MoreA Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Deborah ‘Deb’ Butterfield
Deborah “Deb” Butterfield’s family are Cherokee Indians, with a great grandparent having traveled on the Trail of Tears before settling in Oklahoma. Butterfield’s parents moved from Oklahoma to Indiana for work, and they began their lives in...
Read MoreA Northwest Indiana Life in the Spotlight: Bob Strempka
Bob Strempka has become one of the most popular names in sports photography not only around the Region but around the state of Indiana. Yet, sports photography was not his original intention when picking up the camera. After graduating...
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