Life in the Spotlight

Sara Quiroz Soberg is a dancer, a wife, and works multiple jobs. She grew up in South Haven and currently lives and works in La Porte. “I grew up in South Haven and went to Portage Christian,” Soberg explained. “I’m the oldest of three, and when my …

Jessica ‘Jesse’ Oswald started making Easter baskets for the Portage area homeless about a decade ago. She refers to her efforts as her Easter Basket Project, and it was a middle school class that originally inspired her to launch it. “I was in sixth …

Ashlee Ripley has always loved children, but her journey to becoming a teacher is as much about resilience and perseverance as it is about education. After nearly five years at home raising three kids, she’s returned to the classroom at the South Lake YMCA …

Craig Beatty and his wife had been missionaries in Puerto Rico for nine years before they moved to Chesterton to be near family. At that point, they had three children and knew that it was time to be somewhere they could focus on the ministry while having …

Todd Brown has been building confidence and strengthening the community since 2005. As the owner and head coach at Revolution Jiu-Jitsu and Fitness Center in Mishawaka, he knows a thing or two about the bonds of brotherhood and the power of consistency. Brown …

There’s an old cliché that if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. For Neko Zairis, that sentiment isn’t just a saying — it’s something he has lived for nearly three decades. He served as a Lake County police officer for 22 …

Lyric Green is a second-grade teacher at Union Center Elementary School. Having grown up in the Union Township school system herself, Green is happy to be an active participant in the community that raised her. “I started playing soccer around first …

Pastor Travis Jackson serves as NextGen Pastor of Real Life Community Church in Portage. Originally from Decatur, Illinois, Jackson and his family lived in Wisconsin prior to moving to Portage.  “I’m not originally from Portage, but I grew up in …

Inspired by the beauty of Lake Michigan, Angie Leffler and her daughter Danielle founded Treasures by the Tide, where they design and handcraft jewelry and art using authentic beach glass and driftwood sourced directly from the shoreline. Their work reflects …

The Great Lakes region has a humble but glowing reputation. Midwesterns simply have it all — between the months of April and October — vibrant beach towns, miles upon miles of nature trails, thriving local food suppliers, artisans, and a modest but …