GreatNews.Life Student Voices: Valparaiso celebrates at the Porter County Fair, prepares for new school year

What’s recently happened?

The annual Porter County Fair was held recently, from July 17 to July 26. The fair is a big event in the area, with people coming from all over to enjoy it. This year, the fair boasted an impressive array of activities, from music to 4-H and much more.

This year’s music included shows from The Strolling Piano, Jimmy Holmes as Elvis, and Eliana Weston. The Porter County Fair is also the host to the Porter County Queen Pageant, where young women aged 18-22 compete for the crown in categories such as interview, prepared speech, professional wear, evening gown, and impromptu question.

“The pageant gives our young women in our community a chance to develop lifelong skills that they can use in everyday life,” Jessica Walters, the Queen Pageant Director and 2006 Fair Queen, said. “It’s so much more than just fancy gowns and makeup; it’s an opportunity to show growth, purpose, and one’s individual strengths.”

This year, the Queen Pageant winner was Valparaiso High School (VHS) Alumna Mackenzie Wassermann. In addition to these entertainment opportunities, the Porter County Fair gives many chances for young people in the community to showcase their talents. 

“My experience at the Porter County Fair has been nothing short of excitement, happiness, and accomplishment!” said VHS Alumna Patricia Biggs, who competed in a photo contest. “It has been a pleasure to see my photos on display for the community to see. As a resident, it’s an honor to see the community come together for the 4-H program and through a hobby of mine that I deeply cherish. As a contestant for the photo contest, I feel energized and happy to know my photos were to be on display for the public to see, and I’m proud to see how far I have come!”

Many young adult contestants agree with Biggs’ assessment of participation in the fair.

“What makes the Porter County Fair so special is everyone in 4-H coming together to show off what they have worked so hard for all year and having fun doing it,” Rising VHS Junior Bel-Air Watson said.

What’s coming up? 

As summer wraps up, the staff and students at VHS prepare for the 2025-2026 school year. School for students begins on Wednesday, August 13. 

“I’m always excited for a new school year,” VHS School Counselor and International Baccalaureate Diploma Coordinator Kari Owney said. “I enjoy my summer break with my family, but I love getting back into VHS to see my 10th through 12th grade students again and to meet our incoming freshmen. Each school year feels like a fresh start, and I look forward to the opportunity to help my students and their families.”

Freshman orientation is on August 12, the day before the school officially starts. At freshman orientation, new students will have the opportunity to explore many club booths, get a tour around the school, and learn about the procedures at VHS.

“We host a dedicated Freshman and New Student Orientation, designed to help students feel more comfortable with the building, meet key staff, and start forming early connections with classmates,” VHS Principal Dr. Veronica Tobon said. “We also hold Club Rush during all lunch hours, where students can explore the many extracurricular opportunities available at VHS and find a place where they feel involved and engaged.”

While the start of a new school year is an exciting time, there are also many challenges that go into preparing for it.

“One challenge this year will be the addition of new diplomas for our class of 2029 and beyond,” Owney said. This year’s cohort of freshmen and those who will start in the years to come will have a different diploma type than current and previous students, which will require the juggling of many different types of schedules to make sure everyone gets their credits to graduate. Even through challenges such as this, the school’s staff is adamant about making this school year the best it can be.”

Despite the challenges, the VHS team is excited for the upcoming school year. Tobon is incredibly proud of all the hard work her staff has put into making this upcoming year one for the books.

“We’re committed to making this a great year for every student at VHS,” Tobon said. “We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to ensure a safe, welcoming, and challenging learning environment. I’m proud of our dedicated staff, and I’m grateful for the continued support from our families and the Valpo community. It’s going to be a great year, and we’re ready.”

Community member spotlight:

Heather Curlee Novak, lifestyle assistant at Aviva Valparaiso and published author, has a home that immediately reflects her diverse interests, including D&D, crocheting, and even a 10-month-old kitten.

“I have the newest, cutest little kitten named Griffon,” Novak said. “He is my little black cat, and I adore him. He’ll probably sell a lot of books for me.”

While the appearance of a cute kitten in one of her books may entice some readers, Novak has had little trouble gaining readership for the six books that she’s written. Novak’s first book, a collection of photos and haikus about a mission trip in Sierra Leone in 2019, is called “Reluctant Missionary.”

Novak’s second book, “Cat Dish Gin,” is a compilation of around 15 years of short National Public Radio (NPR) essays.

“It’s about the daily life of being a woman, a mother, a wife, and a human,” said Novak.

Since her two nonfiction books, Novak has debuted her fiction writing, with the “Elm Street Stories” trilogy (“Small Man, Big Murder;” “A Little Bitter;” and “First and Last”) and the beginnings of the “Bombshell Beauties” series. Right now, only the first, “Dumb Blonde,” is available, but Novak says she’s working on the sequel.

“‘Small Man, Big Murder’ was my first book. I was writing it kind of as revenge,” Novak said. “There was a friend who was treated badly, and you wish that you could do some things that you can’t actually do. I started writing, and I gave it all my time. I realized I really enjoyed it, and readers really enjoyed it, and I thought, ‘Well, gosh, I can actually do this.’”

Currently, Novak’s books are available at The Press bookstore in downtown Valpo, at Barnes & Noble, and coming up, she will have a booth at Valparaiso’s Popcorn Festival, where she will be selling signed copies of her books, among other things. 

Novak, a South Bend native, has lived in Valparaiso for 15 years, frequenting many restaurants and shops over time. She reflects her interests in her books, which are set in Valparaiso, and reference many popular spots in town, such as Trailyard, Pikk’s Tavern, The Press, Family Express, and Fluid.

“I think if readers identify with the story or the characters, they’ll enjoy the idea of being able to go to where they are and experience what they’re experiencing. That’s not usually available in fiction. I’ve had a lot of fun referencing places in Valparaiso,” Novak said.

When talking about her books, a resounding theme that comes up for Novak is not writing for other people, but herself instead. 

“I think that the advice I would give to anyone who’s interested in writing is just to do it,” Novak said. “I realized I didn’t have to be a great writer. I just wanted to be good. My books are better than some and not as good as others, but I’m really happy I have a lot of fun with my books.”