Gabby Tompkins - La Porte Community School Corporation

Swan song: Swan set to retire

Larry Swan is retiring from his position of front desk security at LPHS after being the friendly first face at LPHS for 12 years.

Before Swan worked at LPHS, he worked in the insurance business. He retired from insurance when he was 56 due to a double hip surgery.

While Swan worked in insurance, he was based in Michigan City, but he was able to travel all over the country.

Swan decided to apply for front desk security at LPHS because of his older neighbor.

“My neighbor had this job, and he told me when he retired I should take his job. When he retired, I applied for the job, but I didn’t get it,” Swan said.

However, in October 2012, the school contacted Swan and asked him if he was still interested in the job. Swan accepted the offer and has been working in that position ever since.

Swan has always been a passionate worker. He was spirited about his job in insurance, and he is about his job here at LPHS as well.

“I worked a lot of hours, and I was home not much, but I had a good career and did things that I didn't think I could do. I just kept elevating and having fun, and every time an opportunity came up I didn't question it. I just I went to try it made them all succeed,” Swan said.

Swan believes he has a special connection with the students at LPHS because he went to school here. He had a lot of fun going to school and growing up in La Porte, and it’s been an honor giving back to his home community.

“I ran around with different friends, and I knew their parents. Their parents were always so good. We had so much fun and did so many things. There were the lakes, ice skating, swimming, cars, boats, and lots of fun,” Swan said.

Swan has found it interesting to see how society has changed and how it has affected the environment in schools.

Swan will miss all the people at LPHS, especially the students.

“I’ll miss the good and bad students. I don’t care. I’ve gotten a lot smoother with some of the kids that misbehave. I’ve learned that we can all change, and I can too. It all works out and it comes out in a good end,” Swan said.

Swan is definitely sad to be leaving, but he feels like it’s time for him to go. He is looking forward to spending more time with his wife and daughter.

“I feel it’s a privilege to be able to do this because there's only one person who does this. I've been here for 12 years, and I feel that's a privilege. It's not for the money because I don't get a lot of money, but it's an important position. For me personally, I can get back to school to teachers to the community and kids,” Swan said.

Swan’s friendly face will be missed at the front desk, but he has undoubtedly touched many lives here at LPHS.

LPHS plans to switch to block scheduling

By: Gabby Tompkins

LPHS plans to switch to block scheduling next year to benefit students and staff.

A block schedule consists of students having eight classes a semester, but only four a day. There will be Orange and Black days having classes every other day.

LPHS staff visited Hobart High School in September to view how they run their school with a block schedule.

LPHS believes that block scheduling will alleviate stress for students. Block schedule gives students more time to complete their work outside of class because they have an extra day in between classes.

For example, on Monday you’ll have hours one to four. The next day you’ll have hours five to eight. This gives you a day in between classes to process, and you won’t be bombarded with seven classes a day,” said Principal Scott Upp.

Block schedules are also designed to give students more chances to earn their required credits to graduate. With block schedules, students will have the opportunity to earn 16 credits a year. With the schedule LPHS runs on now, students are only given the opportunity to take 14 credits a year.

“It also allows students to experiment more, because students will have one extra class,” Upp said.

Block schedules also benefit class projects. It allows for more class time for teachers to explain what the students will be working on during the class period, and it gives students more time to complete their work in class.

More information will be given after the school board and central office decide on a path forward.

Briggs continues to shine after 45 years

Crichfield Elementary’s very own Martin Briggs is being recognized for teaching and making a positive impact on his students and in the community for 45 years.

Briggs originally wanted to start teaching when he was in third grade because he was inspired by his teacher, Betty Taylo.

“She taught me that learning could be fun, and she also enabled us to develop creativity,” Briggs said.

However, when Briggs went into college, he decided teaching didn’t make enough money, and he decided to major in psychology. In Briggs’ second year of college, he had to take an education course for his major.

“Everything in the class clicked. It was all about who I was and the way I thought. I felt then that I was called to be a teacher. I switched my major, and I worked really hard to be able to graduate on time with a new major,” Briggs said.

Briggs started teaching in 1978 at Riley Elementary School. He started off teaching third grade, and then he taught a class of fourth and fifth grade at the same time.

“I took that job and taught that class for two years while it was needed. I ended up having several students for three years in a row. The class that was open after that was fourth grade. I’ve taught that ever since,” Briggs said.

Briggs started teaching at Crichfield in 2006 when the new building was built. He was hired to teach fifth grade, but there was an opening for a fourth grade teacher, so he took it. “I decided to stay with that because I had developed so many materials over the years for fourth grade,” Briggs said.

Briggs is wildly passionate about teaching. He finds it exciting when he can see academic growth in a student. He also enjoys that every class he teaches is unique, and he’s never bored.

Briggs was recognized Presidentially in 2014 for his excellence in teaching math and science. He was invited to visit the White House when he received this award. Briggs makes a point to have a relationship with each of his classes. He finds that having a good relationship with students leads to them feeling more comfortable and wanting to be more involved.

“I believe that when students know that you care about them, they will try hard to do well. When you develop a great classroom atmosphere, students will not be afraid to ask questions or try to answer difficult questions. They’ll develop a positive growth mindset and know that it’s fine to make mistakes because that is how you learn,” Briggs said.

Briggs wants the students in his class to learn responsibility, time management, and perseverance. He also wants the students in his class to enjoy learning and know that learning can be fun. Briggs enjoys to see students he has had in class in the past. Most of the time students will tell Briggs they remember things that they learned in his class.

“Knowing that I have made a difference in a life is my ultimate goal, and it thrills me whenever I see evidence of that,” Briggs said.

In the 45 years Briggs has been teaching, he feels that he has learned much about how to teach, but he feels that he could still learn more.

“My job is to look at the good and bad in all of these and craft them all into a way to teach that is both effective and enjoyable,” Briggs said.

Briggs is grateful to be recognized for his 45 years of teaching, but he thinks the best recognition comes from his past students. In his free time, he likes to go to state parks and enjoys biking, kayaking, running, and landscaping. He’s also done over a dozen mini-marathons.

“I am scheduled to do a math workshop this summer in Belize for teachers. I’ve done a workshop there before, and I love that experience. I also love reading, history, and I play keyboard for a worship band,” Briggs said.

Briggs has undoubtedly made many impacts in La Porte’s community since he started teaching, and he has forever touched the lives of many of his students.

LPCSC to have live eLearning Apr. 8

LPHS will be having a live eLearning day due to the solar eclipse, on April 8th.

Dr. Peggy Hinkley announced the schedule change at the March school board meeting.

La Porte will have around 95% coverage, with the peak time at 2:08 p.m.

A solar eclipse is when the moon passes between the sun and the earth and completely blocks the earth’s view of the sun. This solar eclipse will pass over Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

According to NASA, “Except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s bright face, it is not safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing.”

If the eyes are exposed to the sun during the eclipse, it can cause a severe eye injury. In order to avoid injury to the eyes, it is advised to wear safe solar viewing glasses or eclipse glasses.

Some of the best companies to buy these glasses from according to NASA are American Paper Optics, Flip’n Shades, Halo Eclipse Spectacles, Celestial Optical, Grafix Plastics, DayStar Filters, American PaperWear, Seymour Solar, Rainbow Symphony, and Thousand Oaks Optical.

It is also advised not to look at the sun through a camera lens or telescope while wearing eclipse glasses. The sun's rays can burn through the filter, which would result in eye injury. There are lenses for camera lenses and telescopes. By viewing the eclipse through a camera or telescope that has a filter, one does not need to wear eclipse glasses. If a viewer does not have access to eclipse glasses, he or she can view the sun through an indirect viewing method. An example of an indirect viewing method would be a pinhole projector.

“A pinhole projector has a small opening (for example, a hole punched in an index card) and projects an image of the Sun onto a nearby surface. With the Sun at your back, you can then safely view the projected image. Do NOT look at the Sun through the pinhole!” NASA’s website said.

Get out and enjoy this event safely, as another one won't be visible for another 20 years!

LPHS choir performs Chorale Festival

LPHS and seventh grade choirs performed a concert on February 21. Every year the LPHS choir has the seventh grade choir come to perform at the high school to introduce them to the how choir at the high school works. This is after the 8th grade choir performed at the fall concert. The choirs have been working on the songs for this concert since January. They were also working on songs for district Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) during this time. Some of the songs that were performed in the concert were also performed at ISSMA. The seventh grade choir, led by Mrs. Davidson, performed two songs. There was also a trio and a barbershop quartet that performed songs, which they received Gold at ISSMA. After seventh grade, the Beginning Men's Chorus sang two songs. Then the Treble Chorale performed two songs. Then the Beginning Treble, which is made up of mostly underclassmen, performed two songs. Molly Cooper, Camryn Ruiz, and Julianna Chavez also performed in the trio that won a Gold at ISSMA. The Beginning Mens’ Choir, which is made up of mostly underclassmen, then performed two songs.That was followed by “Heart We Will Forget Him,” which was performed at ISSMA and one other song from Treble Chorale, made up of sophomores and upperclassmen. Then the tenors and bases from Chorale performed a song. After this, all the students in Chorale performed two songs. Chorale is made up of mostly upperclassmen with a few sophomores, and it is a mix of tenors, bases, altos, and sopranos. That was followed by Show Choir performing four songs. Then all the choirs at the concert sang “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham!. The next LPHS choir concert will be on April 17th at the PAC.

Cooper, Ruiz make All-State Choir

Freshmen Molly Cooper and Camryn Ruiz performed in Indiana’s All-State Choir the weekend of January 12th. All-State Choir consists of students from all over the state of Indiana who are selected to be a part of this choir after a tryout. Then they all come together to perform.“I’m extremely proud of both of these freshmen for making it into the All-State choir this year, and I’m really looking forward to them and many other La Porte choir students participating in that event over the next three years!” Mr. Coe, choir director, said.Previously, Cooper and Ruiz were both in the middle school All-State Choir, which is what influenced them to audition this year at the high school level.To audition for All-State, Cooper and Ruiz had to have a song prepared, and had to sing in front of a judge, and the judge scored each of their solo performances. “Along with that, you also have to do a thing we call sight-reading, where you have to sing a line of music you’ve never seen or heard before,” Cooper said.Cooper and Ruiz both greatly enjoyed performing with the All-State Choir. They are also both very honored to sing with and be considered some of the best in the state. “It was very powerful! There are so many kids there who are all incredibly talented. When we all started singing together, I got full-body chills,” Cooper said. Cooper and Ruiz are both in the choir at LPHS. They both enjoy the class, and they look forward to being in choir throughout the rest thor high school career.“Mr. Coe also makes choir extremely enjoyable. I’m only halfway through my freshman year, and I’ve already learned so much from him. You can definitely tell he loves his job, music, and all of his students dearly. I can’t thank him enough for the time and effort he has invested in me and the other students,” Ruiz said. Outside of choir, Cooper and Ruiz are both involved in the drama club at LPHS. They were in the fall play Get Smart, and they are currently rehearsing for the spring musical Little Shop of Horrors. Cooper is additionally a member of the LPHS Art Club and a Hoosier Star Winner. Both will perform together at the LPHS Variety Show on March 1st.

Martin hits stride in English department

J Hall has a friendly face who is beloved by students and fellow staff–Mr. Justin Martin.

Martin started working at LPHS during the 2021-2022 school year.

Martin always had an interest in teaching because of his teachers growing up, but it was his high school English teacher who inspired him to pursue teaching.

“When I initially started going to school, I thought I wanted to be an elementary teacher. However, I quickly realized that it was not a good fit. Eventually, I switched to being a high school math teacher, but once again realized that I didn’t connect to the subject like I did English, so I made the switch one more time and stuck with English,” Martin said.

Martin started college at Valparaiso University, but after his sophomore year, he moved to Atlanta to become a pastor. There he went to Atlanta Leadership College for pastoral studies.

After Martin lived in Atlanta, he came back to Indiana and earned his degree in secondary education from Purdue Northwest. Martin chose to teach English because he has always loved to read. He wanted to pass his love for books onto others.

“I have always been a bookworm. I love the fact that a book can take you away to different places and have many adventures all from the comfort of your couch. I wanted to pass that love along to others and the best way to do that is to teach English,” Martin said.

Martin has a special connection with many of his students. He tries to make an impact on them inside and outside of the classroom.

“I leave my heart and soul in the classroom. I try very hard to make connections with all of my students,” Martin said.

Martin wants his students to leave his class knowing that they are accepted and cared for, and he also wants them to discover a love of reading.

In Martin’s free time, he enjoys spending time with his friends and family. He also enjoys playing board games, and he runs the D&D Club at LPHS.

Martin’s path to education may have been winding, but LPHS is lucky he found a home here.

LPHS crown Homecoming King and Queen

By: Gabby Tompkins

Ava Penziol and Sam Pressler were named Homecoming Queen and King on October 6th at Kiwanis Field.

Penziol ran for homecoming queen representing National Honor Society. She is involved in gymnastics, track, HOSA, GR, and Team JAM, the student board of the Play for Jake Foundation. Penziol was thrilled to hear her name announced as queen.

“It felt unbelievable. I was surprised that I had won, and I was very thankful. All of us girls were holding hands trying our best to stay warm. All I was thinking about was how cold it was. Then I heard my name called and announced as the 2023 Homecoming Queen, and I was very surprised,” Penziol said.

Pressler ran for homecoming king representing HOSA Future Health Professionals. He has played football and wrestling for all four years of high school and has been on varsity for both for three years. He is also in Spanish Club.

“Being in front of all my peers while they are all cheering for me was a surreal feeling. I am grateful for the people who voted for me and to my friends who helped me campaign,” Pressler said.

The top 10 candidates for queen were Olivia Lemon, Molly Menne, Mia Kaiser, Ava Penziol, Ava Holtz, Carmen Ruiz, Leah DiCeasare, Paige Brannon, Anna Donnelly, and Isabel Vasquez.

The top ten candidates for king were Nathan Collins, Hayden Spencer, Preston Peterson, Ethan Blank, Brayden Sobecki, Samuel Presser, Drew Oss, Elijah Metts, Carter Moses, and Zach Kabacinski.

All the candidates for king and queen were presented at the pep rally before the game. They also were invited to be in the homecoming parade before the game.

The complete list of homecoming nominees are as follows:

Art Club: Stephanie Leon and Dominic Bartels

ASL & Honor Society: Olivia Lemon and Nathan Collins

Choir: Anna Donnelly and Drew Oss

D&D Club: Arrow Stidham and Dakota Trujillo

Fellowship of Christian Athletes: Mia Kaiser and Preston Peterson

French Club: Molly Menne and Christopher Santoyo

German Club: Paige Brannon and Brandon Bubalo

Girls Reserve: Ava Holtz

La Porte FFA: Zoey Parrett-Hock and Hayden Spencer

La Porte Marching Band: Molly King and Zach Kabacinski

LPHS Cheer: Leah DiCeasare

LPHS Dance Team: Jai Vines

LPHS HOSA: Isabel Vasquez and Samuel Pressler

LPHS Speech and Debate: Ariyana Nelson and Elliot Burge

National Honor Society: Ava Penziol and Ethan Blank

National Tech Honors Society: Kamryn Kubik and Carter Moses

Newspaper: Megan Lambert and Michael Pham

Orchestra: Belle Scott and Brayden Sobecki

Slicer Drama Club: Tristyn Schroeder and Jaxon Dieken

Spanish Club: Carmen Ruiz and Elijah Metts

Student Council: Ciara McLeese

Yearbook: Logan Higley

Korell keeps math engaging

Math can often be a challenging part of a student’s day, but LPHS educator Tom Korrel makes his lessons engaging and understandable.

Korell started teaching at LPHS in 2009.

Korell always had an interest in teaching, because both of his sisters are teachers. His wife is also a teacher at LPHS, which makes each day more fun.

“It's great teaching here with my wife. She teaches French, and a lot of times we have the same students, so between that and just everything that happens during the day, we always have something to talk about which makes it fun,” Korell said.

Korell went to Purdue and then to Indiana Wesleyan later for their Transfer to Teaching Program. Then he began his teaching career in 2008 at Michigan City and transferred to LPHS one year later. Korell has taught Geometry, Algebra I, and Algebra II throughout his time teaching.

“It just varies from year to year,” Korell said.

Korell enjoys teaching. He finds that each class he teaches is unique, along with the connections he makes with his students. The main thing Korell wants for his students is for them to be able to know how to think and hopefully gain confidence in themselves to help them in the real world.

“I've really enjoyed my time here at LPHS and always hope for my students to move on and be happy in life,” Korell said.

Korell also coached football from 2007 to 2020. He found a connection similar to the ones he has with his students when coaching.

He coached the freshman team for Michigan City. For La Porte, he was the assistant 8th grade coach at Kesling and the assistant and head coach for the 7th grade team and was also the linebacker coach for the varsity.

Korell also played baseball from the time he was about seven years old until his senior year of high school. He was on the baseball team at LPHS from 1984-1987. In 1987, his team won a State Champion and the mythical National Championship team.

“Being part of the 1987 team was amazing. We had gone down to the State finals the previous year and lost the first game, so we used that as motivation for the next season,” Korell said.

Korell and the other players on the team all had a special connection with their coach Ken Schreiber.

“We all loved and respected Schreib tremendously. He demanded so much from us, and there were no excuses for anything. He was also really funny, which kept the mood light. By the time we were playing for him, he had already won four state championships, so we knew if we worked really hard and followed his plan, we would have a great chance of going far in the state tournament,” Korell said.

In his free time, Korell enjoys spending time with his family, listening to music, playing hockey, and spending as much time outside as he can.

Korell’s easy-going personality and dedication to his job and his family make him a Slicer treasure.

Influential Women of La Porte: Katy Gartland

By: Gabby Tompkins

The La Porte community is filled with influential women who strive to lead by example. Their passion, drive, and expertise leave a lasting impact wherever they go and whomever they come in contact with. Katy Gartland was nominated as one of these women.

Leadership has been a major part of Gartland’s life. She leads by example, encourages others, and lets others’ talents shine by supporting them in their efforts. She believes this comes from her confidence to keep trying at things.

“In middle school, I tried out for cheerleading for three years and never made the team; however, I did make the team in high school, and by senior, year I was leading as Captain,” Gartland said.

Gartland finds a positive impact in giving to others whether it’s something financial, knowledge, or an experience.

Gartland is trusted in many positions of leadership. Her optimistic attitude that she spreads to others is helpful in these positions. She organizes community events and is President of La Porte Little Theatre.

Gartland was first introduced to theatre when she was 12. She recalls her neighbor asking her parents to get her and her siblings involved in theatre. After this, she and they started helping backstage and performing.

“By performing, you gain self-confidence, become part of a bigger goal, and earn trust with others on the stage,” Gartland said. Theatre has been a life-changing experience in Gartland’s life. The lessons she has learned from it have been helpful in life situations, leadership positions, and becoming a good parent.

Theatre is also a way that Gartland connects with her family. Both of her daughters have been in shows, and she has been in shows along with them and her other family.

“The most fun was performing in Harvey. My mom was the lead, and I played her daughter. I knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime happening, and I love those memories with her,” Gartland said.

Gartland also sees musicals with her family. They have season tickets to multiple performing arts centers. She and her family also go to New York three to four times a year to see shows there.

Gartland has also had a successful nursing career. She first became interested in nursing when a nurse from Valparaiso University came to her class in high school to discuss going into nursing.

“I remember the moment it struck me. ‘You mean, I could get my nursing degree and always have a job no matter where I live?’ I saw endless possibility,” Gartland said.

Gartland then earned her bachelor’s degree at Valparaiso University, and she went to Indiana University for her Master’s degree in Public Health.

Since then, she has worked in a hospital, started a wellness clinic in Bloomington, sold pharmaceuticals, and tried school nursing. Her favorite was working in a hospital.

Gartland’s biggest woman influence has always been Princess Diana. Gartland finds that Diana always feels good when she does little things for others.

“I have always been inspired by Princess Diana. One thing I remember she always did was write personal thank you notes. I feel when I do little things for others, I pray. I pray for that person and hope that whatever I am able to share brings them joy. I love tea parties and would love Princess Diana’s spirit to join in on a party soon!” Gartland said.

Gartland’s biggest piece of advice for young girls is that it’s okay not to have things figured out. She encourages young girls to follow their own path.

“Life will take you on different twists and turns and offer you opportunities you can’t even fathom. Take the opportunity, look up to the leaders who are awesome, and learn from them the pearls that you can use to become better. The not-so-awesome leaders, learn from them how you do not want to lead. There is so much to learn in life,” Gartland said.

In her free time, Gartland likes to listen to audiobooks and spend time with her dog, Basil. Gartland also sews, embroiders, screen prints, paints, makes cards, mugs, and other fun things.

Gartland loves living in La Porte, and the way that she emits her positive energy and gives to people in her community it’s apparent. She has certainly impacted many people in this community and she will undoubtedly impact more.

Carnes, Suroweic lead GR to leaving lasting impact

Girls Reserve is one of the most impactful organizations at LPHS. Staff members Meredith Carnes and Dana Suroweic took over Girls Reserve (GR) in December 2022.

Carnes was not in GR when she was in high school, but her experience in college is what inspired her to take over.

“I went to an all-girls college--Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, IN--and it had a lasting impact on me on the importance of encouraging women to push the envelope with regards to expectations for themselves and from others,” Carnes said.

Surowiec and Carnes had three main goals when taking over GR. The first is to focus on how long GR has been in our community. Next year GR will have been in La Porte for 100 years. It is the only chapter left in the United States.

“We could only be here if it wasn't for the dedication and tenacity of our past sponsors and members to keep it going! We plan on making them proud and continuing the goal of Girl Reserves, giving back to our community while updating the club with social media and other technology and supporting our members with different speakers and events for them to attend,” Carnes said.

The second thing that they wanted to focus on was defining themselves and focusing their time and energy. After COVID happened, the girls in GR had to work smaller volunteer opportunities like concession stands, and Carnes and Surowiec wanted to move on from this.

“We want to start focusing on working larger events such as Tour De LaPorte, Salvation Army, Play for Jake Race, ABATE haunted trails, Special Olympics Trick or Treat at LPHS, and the Animal Shelter, while still supporting our schools with babysitting coverage for PTO/PTA meetings, school events such as STEM night and Robotics Competition at Kingsford Heights,” Carnes said.

The third thing they wanted to focus on was to give the girls in GR the ability to be responsible for their time management and planning, to encourage their own confidence by putting themselves out there like walking into an organization they have never been to and offering to help, and to give back to them by having women speakers at meetings.

They have had a women's health practitioner, a mental health therapist, and a representative from the YMCA all come and speak to members.

“In addition, we both felt it was time to update the Girl Reserves By laws and Handbook, change the point system to help make the most out of giving back to the community, and update the Cabinet and their responsibilities,” Carnes said. Carnes and Suroweic have also been working hard to get GR out into the community more. One of the ways they did that this year was having GR’s members volunteer for Tour De La Porte and the Play for Jake Run.

Carnes and Suroweic have worked hard to give the girls in GR more opportunities and connections to make a difference in the community, and it’s sure to have a lasting impact on them.

Best of the best: O’Shea shines in Taekwondo

By: Gabby Tompkins

According to softschools.com, as many as 70 million people practice taekwondo today and four million of the Taekwondo students are black belts; La Porte High School sophomore Anastasia O'Shea fits into both of these categories.

O'Shea started Taekwondo when her mom saw an advertisement for it and asked if she wanted to try it. She said yes, even though she didn’t really know what it was at first. She’s been taking classes at Eldridge’s ATA Martial Arts ever since.

O’Shea has been practicing Taekwondo for just over two years now, and she’s been competing for less than one. In this period of time, she has worked to become a first-degree black belt.

“In Songahm Taekwondo, there are nine color belts and nine degrees of black belt, I am a first-degree black belt. I’m going to stay this rank throughout the tournament season,” O'Shea said.

O'Shea has won many first place awards at tournaments. She is currently first in the state and within the top 10 in the world for every event. Her top is fourth place in creative weapons.

“My main weapons are bo staff, which I have won first place with, and kamas which are like mini scythes,” O'Shea said.

O'Shea’s favorite thing to do in Taekwondo is to ground spar. This is where both people start on their knees, and they can use headlocks, pressure points, and other strategies to try to make the other person tap out.

Another aspect that O'Shea enjoys about Taekwondo is how it benefits her everyday life. The first way is it has a positive impact on her mental health.

“For me, being able to hit things and spar lets me release all the emotion built up throughout the day,” O'Shea said.

Taekwondo has also taught O'Shea self-defense. Taekwondo and self-defense are relatively similar, but her studio also teaches self-defense classes separately.

“We teach how to get out of situations that can happen at school for the tigers (grades 3-5), and we teach them to learn their parent’s phone numbers and what to do if someone tries to kidnap them. For adults, we teach more in-depth ways to escape bad situations,” O'Shea said.

O'Shea has also learned self-discipline from Taekwondo, and she feels that it has made her overall a better person. Taekwondo is something she’s very passionate about and has put a great deal of effort into.

O'Shea will be working towards competing in the World Championships, which are in July of 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. After that, she plans on working towards getting higher degrees in black belt and continuing to compete.

O'Shea is on the right track to accomplish the goals she has set for herself in Taekwondo. With training five days a week, her name is sure to stay amongst the best in the country.

Goss finds a home at LPHS

In Jen Goss’ short amount of time working at La Porte High School, she has made an undeniable impact around LPHS.

Goss went to Purdue University where she majored in communicative disorders. After, she earned her master's in curriculum and instruction. She’s currently pursuing her director’s license for Career Tech and Education.

Goss taught for 10 years before she came to La Porte. She had been wanting to do something other than teaching. When she saw the job for director of college and career was open at LPHS, she jumped at the chance for a fresh start. Goss is in charge of prenursing, agriculture, business, family consumer science, and construction programs at the high school.

These classes are part of pathways set for students to complete before they graduate. “These programs give students opportunities to learn about things they want to pursue outside of school,” Goss said.

Goss is also the junior varsity cheer coach at the high school. She cheered when she was younger, and her three coaches had a big impact on her, which influenced her to want to coach cheer.

“25 years later I still think of them and the positive influence they had on me as a teenager,” Goss said.

Goss has always enjoyed cheerleading, and she coached middle school cheer at her old school. When she saw an open coaching position at LPHS for this basketball season, she took it. In her free time, Goss likes to drink coffee, shop, and likes to volunteer with her family.

“Sometimes we volunteer for events like ringing bells or the Christmas shop for needy families. My kids and I volunteer at the Humane Society quite often, doing chores like the dishes or cleaning kettles and sometimes socializing dogs and cats. I also make and serve dinner at the homeless shelter every so often,” Goss said.

Goss has had a positive impact on La Porte High School, and she will undoubtedly continue with her hard work and dedication.

Influential women of La Porte: Jennifer Keeley

Keeley is a leader for her students and her assistant music teachers Keeley Music Studio, LLC. She encourages her assistants to try new things and step out of their comfort zones when teaching their students.

“I believe in empowering my students to think for themselves as they grow in their knowledge and love of music,” Keeley said.

Keeley also enjoys working extra hours in her studio to make sure her tasks are done correctly. She enjoys this because it lets her fulfill the high expectations she sets for herself. Keeley became interested in music when she was enrolled in piano lessons at four years old. She continued piano lessons until she was in college.

Keeley became involved in theatre when she was in high school. Her show choir teacher recruited her from the marching band. She only participated in the marching band during her freshman year of high school because all of the hours involved were inconvenient.

After Keeley’s freshman year, she switched from marching band to choir. Choir influenced her to be in musicals throughout high school.

After high school, Keeley went to college and obtained her teaching degree. This led to her becoming the choir teacher at Kesling Middle School until she left to open her studio.

“I absolutely loved my job as a choir teacher, and I took it very seriously. I had those students for 50 minutes every other day and always told them that even though music may not be tested on ISTEP, they will learn how to read, write, and perform music to the best of their,” Keeley said.

Before Keeley left Kesling to open her studio, she went back to school to get her school administration license. She had also completed two years at the La Porte Principal’s Academy.

“As I neared the finish, my heart kept calling me to teach privately,” Keeley said.

Keeley is sure she made the right decision to teach privately. She loves her studio and is proud of all the work she’s put into it. She spent hours designing the studio’s website. She also makes sure every email and phone call to the studio gets answered. Keeley’s studio offers 30, 45, and 60-minute music classes. She has two assistants who teach mainly the beginning-level classes. There are about 50 students enrolled in Keeley’s studio. Keeley also runs a music camp for her students every summer. She started this camp as a fun week over the summer for her students who take a break from their music lessons over this time.

“Students usually want to ‘take a break’ over the summer, but then they regress. Having fond memories of camp as a child, I thought it would be fun to bring them in during the summer for a whole week of music review,” Keeley said.

According to Keeley, the camp has now morphed into more of a music appreciation camp. At her camp students participate in music history lessons, music theory, rhythm games, and sing-alongs. Along with running her music studio, Keeley is the vice president of South Bend Music Teachers. She is in charge of finding and bringing in quality composers to give presentations. They also host several piano festivals and competitions.

Keeley has undoubtedly impacted many of her students and people around her through her hard work and dedication to her job, and she has a special connection to what she teaches. La Porte County is lucky to have such influential and strong women like Keeley.