Kayla Weiss

Since the young age of nine months, Dolores Chelf has been a member of the Portage community. It is where she grew up, got married, and remained close to her family. Growing up in a household with her mother, grandparents, and two older brothers,...

Born in New Jersey and raised in Central New York and New England, Lynda Galbiati came to the area when she was 17 to study Music Education at Valparaiso University. When she graduated from VU in 1979, she could not have been happier to accept an...

For sixteen years of her life, Kristina Koliboski lived in East Chicago before attending college in Indianapolis. When she finished her time at college, she immediately moved back to the area, settling in Valparaiso, wanting to be closer to her...

Having grown up in the city of La Porte, and graduating from La Porte High School, Matt Burden never imagined he would be able to return to the area to live and work. After graduating from Ball State University, Burden completed his MA/PhD in...

Born and raised in Lima, Ohio, Jane Strayer and her husband moved to Valparaiso in 1974 after her husband finished his metallurgical engineering degree at Ohio State University. In their new city, Strayer quickly found work at Benjamin Franklin...

Born and raised in Lake County, Lisa Haislet didn't make her way into La Porte County until after she married her high school sweetheart, Eric. They quickly fell in love with the rolling back roads, orchards and open spaces, and have remained in La...

Born and raised in Northwest Indiana, Matt Saltanovitz left briefly to attend Indiana University Bloomington where he majored in Journalism with a minor in Business. For six months following his graduation, Saltanovitz worked for a local Anderson...

Born and raised in Michigan City, Indiana, Joyce Westphal left the area briefly to pursue a career with Northwest Airlines' Chicago office before returning to Michigan City when she married a hometown boy and wanted to make their home in the area....

Born and raised in Merrillville, Indiana, Scott Mundell graduated from Merrillville High School before attending Indiana University, Bloomington. Currently, he lives in Valparaiso with his wife and two daughters, where they have lived since 1992. For...

Born and raised in the Valparaiso area, Barb Spitler has always been devoted to the community that she grew up in. "I am proud to be from Valparaiso, and to be involved in the community," Spitler said. "My parents, Mann Jr and Imo, were very active...