Top 10 Feature articles on Michiana.Life in 2025

Throughout the year, we sat down with cancer survivors, military veterans, community change-makers, enthusiastic high schoolers, and more. The residents of Michiana make the most powerful impact on the community, and being able to sit down and listen to their stories puts that power on full display.

It’s special moments like these that we are particularly proud to share on the GreatNews.Life sites, including Life in the Spotlight, Survivor Series, Veteran Spotlight, Leadership Life, City in the Spotlight, Student Voices, and more.

In no particular order, here are the top 10 feature articles on Michiana.Life to recap the good news in 2025!

A Michiana Life in the Spotlight: Kaylee McQueen

From drawing and working with pastels as a child to discovering a love of photography in high school, Kaylee McQueen has always been passionate about the arts. What started out as a hobby transformed into a calling when she decided to launch her own photography business.

Growing up in South Bend, McQueen attended Marian High School, where her artistic journey expanded into a new medium. It was there that she first encountered photography, sparking a new passion within her.

GreatNews.Life Student Voices: ‘Tis the season at Marian High School

Christmas break is coming up! Marian High School’s last day of school was December 20. With Christmas break approaching that can only mean one thing, everyone’s minds were on finals. 

On Wednesday, December 18, students are to be in at 8 a.m and end at 12:30 p.m. On Thursday, December 19, and Friday December 20, students needed to be at school at 9 a.m. and end at 12 p.m. Many students enjoy that they don’t have to have all finals in one day and they don’t have full days either.

“I feel lucky that finals are separated into three days,” said Marian Student Maggie Jordan.

GreatNews.Life Student Voices: Penn High School community recognized for its impact

After a six year hiatus, the Penn High School Talent Show made its return on Jan 22. Over 200 people gathered in the Center for Performing Arts to watch 14 student acts, consisting of: comedy, singing, rock bands, spoken word poetry, and even a student who could impressively chug a whole liter of Mountain Dew. 

Acts were judged by a panel of teachers and special guest judge Brittney Baily from B100 country music station. There were prizes given for first, second, and third places.

A Michiana Life in the Spotlight: Mark and Julie Tarner

Mark Tarner was born in Warsaw, Indiana, but moved to South Bend when he was little. When he was younger, he had a paper route. He attended Clay High School and then went on to earn a master’s at Eastern Illinois University, which is where he also played basketball.

Julie Tarner, his wife, has been by his side all the while. She went to high school in Mishawaka at Marian Catholic High School and then began her undergraduate studies at Indiana University Bloomington (IUB) to become an occupational therapist. She worked in that role locally and in Indianapolis. Back when her husband had his ideas for his company, she pivoted to work with him. 

GreatNews.Life Student Voices: A very engaged February at John Adams High School

February has been quite busy for many students participating in extracurricular activities at John Adams High School. The John Adams’ Mock Trial team was working overtime all month. The team’s first competition happened on February 22, where they performed well enough to make it to state. 

Many other clubs and sports are making their way to the next phase of their seasons. The John Adams’ Robotics Team made their way to the first scrimmage of the year. The competition took place at Penn High School on February 28. Students were able to mingle with other schools and test run their robots to work out any issues beforehand. As the robots are up and running, the John Adams’ Robotics team has been buzzing with excitement to compete this season. 

Veteran Spotlight: Michael “Wiki” Mrowicki

Michael “Wiki” Mrowicki is an Army veteran who is a part of Operation Charlie Bravo (OCB). His kindness, vast knowledge, and incredible strength in overcoming life’s challenges have left a lasting impression on many.

Earning the nickname “Wiki” at the shop, his expertise in mechanical and hands-on skills quickly made him the go-to person for anyone needing help.

A Michiana Life in the Spotlight: Sean ‘Big Perm’ Willey

Sean Willey, better known as “Big Perm” at U93, is the host of the radio station’s shows “Afternoons with Big Perm” and “Weekends with Big Perm.” His personality name is certainly one-of-a-kind, and it’s one that he has used for decades in the radio business.

He believes that when he meets people, the name Big Perm is an icebreaker, and its uniqueness really adds to a conversation.

Survivor Series: Phoenix Bridegroom

19-year old Phoenix Bridegroom will be starting her freshman year at Ball State University this upcoming fall, but school is something she didn’t always have the opportunity to attend regularly. As a child, she battled leukemia multiple times and, as a result, was not always able to go to school.

Bridegroom was first diagnosed with leukemia around the age of 5.

A Michiana Life in the Spotlight: Dean Huppert

Dean Huppert is from a town in Northern Indiana just south of Mishawaka called Bremen. After graduating from high school there in the 1980s, he attended the University of Indianapolis, where he studied communications. He’s since devoted his life to storytelling, and he now serves as the communications and marketing director for Fairfield Community Schools.

A Michiana Life in the Spotlight: Joe Hart

Joe Hart comes from a region states away from Indiana, having grown up in North Central Pennsylvania. He went to earn a sports management degree at West Virginia University as an undergraduate, where he had the life-changing opportunity to take on an internship with the Buffalo Bisons minor league baseball team in New York between his junior and senior year. This opened more doors that eventually led him to his role today as the president of the South Bend Cubs, a minor-league baseball team affiliated with the Chicago Cubs.