Life in the Spotlight

The Region is known for hosting folks for what they think will be a season of their life, but they wind up staying a lifetime. The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Valparaiso University, the steel mill industry, and large public education systems...

Andrew Pleasant, an incoming sophomore at Marquette Catholic High School in Michigan City, has been immersed in the world of sports since a very young age. With a passion that runs deep in his familial roots, Pleasant’s aptitude for sports had led...

Pete Xidias has spent most of his life in the Michigan City community. In the early 1970s, the Xidias family immigrated to Indiana from Greece, where they opened Apex Auto Care in 1983. The family has stayed committed to the community, running a shop...

Stephanie Krol aspired to live in Chicago and build a career at a leading public relations (PR) agency. She not only fulfilled this ambition but also surpassed her own goals. For the past 18 years, she has successfully led her own PR practice....

Barbara “Barb” Young serves as the director of the Mike Anderson Chevrolet Event Center in the Dean and Barbara White Event Center of Merrillville. In her role, Young is tasked with coordinating events and ensuring they run as smoothly as...

Family ties run strong for some Region families, with parents and grandparents laying down roots many decades ago. This holds true for Arman Sarkisian, longtime resident and associate at his family’s law firm, Sarkisian Sarkisian & Associates...

Matthew Zawacki, the youth assistance program coordinator for La Porte Community School Corporation’s Virtual Learning Academy, has long known that he wanted to help people. Through various job experiences and inspiration from his mother, he has...

A new book, “Teddy and the Gipper: A Fighting Irish Friendship” has captivated readers with its heartwarming tale of friendship, history, and community. Author Len Clark, Ph.D. — a Mobile Journalism Educator and Storyteller, DISC® Consultant...

Driven by a passion for community and a desire to raise his family in his hometown, Phil Blasko has been serving as the Mishawaka Parks and Recreation Superintendent for the past eight years.  After graduating from Mishawaka High School, Blasko...

Dr. Stephen Schnurr got his first church job when he was still a student in high school in Louisville, Kentucky. Then he went on to complete his undergraduate studies at Duke University in North Carolina. His graduate work was done at Yale University...