Life in the Spotlight

For Alexandria “Ally” Shinkan, theatre is more than a stage — it’s a transformative space where individuals of all ages can discover their voice, build confidence and connect with others. Hailing from Munster, Ind., Shinkan’s passion for...

Raised in foster care in a small town in central Illinois, Shannon Fernandez spent much of her childhood with her grandparents in a household where birthdays and holidays were not celebrated. Rather than let her upbringing define her, Fernandez used...

At just 11 years old, Myles Mosby is a Merrillville swimmer making a big splash. He has made divisional cuts in the 11U competitive swimming 50 yard freestyle, 50 yard breaststroke, 50 yard backstroke, and the 100 yard breaststroke, and he’s...

Maria Avila is a social media manager at Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, where she brings creativity and strategy to the organization. Passionate about giving back to her community, she also serves on the Hammond Education Foundation Board,...

Katie Hess and Alexis Dines have created a captivating children's book about the Indiana Dunes called “A Day At The Dunes.” Hess, an eight-year teacher at Westchester Middle School in Duneland, and Dines, a marketing designer, share a deep...

The summer going into his junior year at Hobart High School, Trey Gibson, along with his brother Bradley Gibson and friend Jacob Oehmen, bought a couple of small pressure washers thinking it’d be a fun way to earn some extra money while out of...

Tim Cagle leads Holy Smokes Ministries, a family-focused organization dedicated to combining faith and fellowship through its unique approach to ministry. Supported by a close bonded team, Holy Smokes brings together family members to help with all...

Christine Neal is the Executive Officer of the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Northwest Indiana and a licensed real estate agent in both Indiana and Illinois.  "I grew up in Cedar Lake, surrounded by water, which shaped a lot of my...

Monique Maldonado’s accomplishments over the years are nothing short of incredible. As a wife, a mother of two, a beauty pageant winner, an author, a Latin dancer and instructor, and a blogger, the East Chicago native has a laundry list of...

It’s no secret that technology dominates nearly every aspect of our lives. From phones being seemingly glued to our hands to the rise of artificial intelligence altering how we perform daily tasks, there are many out there who simply want to be one...