GreatNews.Life Student Voices: A wonderful winter at Chesterton High School

What’s recently happened?

Chesterton High School’s (CHS) ever-productive Applied Skills students are hosting a clothing drive from January 20-30, collecting formal wear for the rapidly approaching prom season. Partnered with Bethlehem Lutheran Church’s Really Free Market, a donation center open to anyone in need, these students have found a charitable way to give back to their community.

Jamie Evans, Applied Skills teacher for senior classes, formulated the idea with Christine Wellborn, work study coordinator, after taking her class on a field trip to the Salvation Army. The Applied Skills students frequently combine their learning with activities that benefit the community, such as running errands for CHS staff members and hosting a coffee bar on Monday mornings. Collaborating with Bethlehem Church, another philanthropic organization in Chesterton, helps neighbors in need while giving these students an opportunity to experience volunteer work.

“My students really enjoyed it,” said Evans. “They take a lot of pride in having a responsibility and knowing they’re helping others.”

While working on the drive, students practiced important life skills, like the communication and organization involved in completing group projects. They were responsible for collecting donations, organizing items, and other crucial aspects of the drive. Evans also reports that her students love seeing the CHS faculty, and since the clothing drive was catered to staff specifically, it gave them ample time to socialize. 

The Really Free Market at Bethlehem is an outlet of new or gently used items. Although the formal wear drive was directed to CHS staff members, any donations – from clothes to office supplies to appliances – are welcome at the church throughout the year. 

“People are welcome to take what they need and donate what they don’t,” Evans said.

Opportunities like the clothing drive teach students valuable lessons while benefitting the community at large, one of the many tendencies of the Chesterton community that make it a great place to live. The Applied Skilled students, who do so much for others already, always find ways to thank the town for being so good-natured.

“Our community is amazing and always so supportive of our program,” Evans said, “We love being able to help whenever we can.”

Events like the clothing drive help many people in need, one of many lessons that can be learned from CHS’s Applied Skills students.

What’s coming up?

After taking home third place at the recent Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) Championship and finishing second at the La Porte High School Sectionals, CHS Boys Wrestling is looking forward to the season’s next milestone: Regionals. The team’s success at Sectionals propels them on to Regionals with eight other top performing groups. Regionals and Semi-State are the final steps CHS’s wrestlers must take before becoming champions at State, a goal that the Trojans are fervently striving to achieve.

So far, the season has played out wonderfully, lining everything up in favor of a Trojan win. Between Coach Andrew Trevino and assistant coaches pushing athletes harder than ever before and a team of many seniors determined to succeed at state their final season, the path to greatness looks crystal clear.

“We’ve gained a lot of momentum close to the end, and that’s what we need,” Greyson Strickland, senior wrestler, said.

At Sectionals, the Trojans encountered the Valparaiso High School Vikings, the La Porte Slicers, and several other of the top teams in Northern Indiana. Among them were the New Prairie High School Cougars, who won the La Porte Sectionals as well as the State Championship in 2025. This frequently victorious team is a formidable obstacle to overcome, but Chesterton’s stamina and zeal are higher than the mountain of last year’s champions.

“I hope we get to New Prairie quite a few times,” Strickland said. “I think we’ve been putting in the work to do that and definitely give them a run for their money.”

This wrestling season has evoked tons of Trojan Pride in the community for the many successes it has brought, and Regionals is sure to boost that enthusiasm. Be sure to follow the CHS Boys Wrestling team through the rest of their journey to becoming State champions.

Staff spotlight:

CHS’s very own Taylor McGuirl always knew she wanted to do something with art, but becoming a teacher was the last thing on her radar. Originally, McGuirl went to veterinary school but quickly realized her passion lay elsewhere. Adamantly against teaching, McGuirl tried many different creative careers: toy design, illustration, costume design, and commissions. Nothing felt right until she found herself at the front of a classroom.

“To this day, I’m so glad I became a teacher,” McGuirl said. “I get to dabble in a little bit of everything, and I get to help others do that, too. It doesn’t get old.”

Now 11 years into teaching, including nine at CHS, McGuirl has established a refreshing artistic presence, exposing students to her own works as she teaches painting, drawing, and International Baccalaureate (IB) Visual Arts. McGuirl especially appreciates the independent, studio-based IB Visual Arts class for the way she gets to educate her students and how they educate her in turn.

“I get to express myself as a teacher and as an artist more in that class, and it makes me a better artist thinking about making art the way I expect them to,” she said.

Regardless of a student’s age, skill level, or specialty, McGuirl intends for them to leave her class knowing how to talk about art and give and receive constructive feedback. In short, every student will learn what they like and how to express that.

“My goal is for them to find themselves as an individual artist and be able to be unique,” McGuirl said. “I want them to find their unique place and find the confidence to experiment and try new things.”

Amongst all that McGuirl provides for CHS, she is highly grateful for what it provides for her. Every day, she looks forward to seeing the five other teachers in the art department, true friends that all share similar passions and goals.

“Being able to collaborate and work with other artists and teachers is really awesome. It’s a special thing about this school,” she said.

Many students pass through the art department at CHS enthusiastic towards art, especially with McGuirl’s classes. She specializes in making education less about productivity and more about personal growth, a generosity that does not go unnoticed. It is people like McGuirl who make learning an exciting, beautiful experience.

Student spotlight:

Junior Mackenzie Kogl is an ideal representative of CHS’s best. Between her vast array of interests and ambitious plans for the future, Kogl’s impressive high school career is merely an introduction of greatness to come. One of her many talents is dance, which she came to her freshman year after ending her long-term gymnastics arc, and since then, Kogl has been a valuable asset to the Chesterton Dance Team (CDT).

“I was a little tired of being a gymnast,” Kogl said. “I wanted to try something new, get a fresh start.”

Kogl’s ability to try new things and wind up successful is not confined to athletics; her various other occupations showcase her diverse lineup of skills. She participates in Red Cross Club, Pickleball Club, and Academic Super Bowl. Most notably, Kogl is a productive member of Philanthropy Club, an organization that speaks directly to her interests. 

After graduation, Kogl intends to go pre-med, en route to becoming a doctor. Her desire to help others stems from personal experiences with hospitals, and since Philanthropy Club often donates to Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, Kogl is able to jumpstart her altruistic career.

“I’d like to be like those doctors who helped me,” she said.

Stars as bright as Kogl are not born overnight. Every move she makes is in pursuit of greatness, and she encourages all students to do the same.

“Don’t slack off, especially not as a freshman, because that year gets you in your mindset for the rest of high school,” said Kogl. “Join many clubs and activities that interest you, so you can figure out what you want to do later in life.”

At 16 years old, Kogl already possesses the determination to build an amazing life for herself, but her biggest goal is to improve that of others. Such a dedicated individual is one the Chesterton community is proud to call our own.