Austin White
Austin White likes making music; in fact, the poem "Sounds of Summer" is the first verse to a song he wrote. When Austin is not composing or writing, he enjoys practicing his Japanese speaking skills by using Rosetta Stone software.

Jessica Ring
Jessica Ring is a 2009 PNC graduate. She currently lives in Jung-gu, Daegu, South Korea, where she is an English teacher.

Karen Arden
Karen Arden is working on her Bachelors in English. Born in Chicago and raised on the shores of Lake Michigan, life has provided some striking contrasts. With a profound love for nature, she hopes to move people through writing and art to help bring about positive change in the world.

Joyce Taylor
Joyce Taylor is a Liberal Arts major with a minor in business. She loves to read and this is her first hand at writing poems. She has been going to PNC, on and off, since 1977 which makes her a non-traditional student. She believes that one does not stop learning no matter his/her age. Joyce works in the Computer Lab and enjoys helping the students when she can. Although she doesn’t need any more English classes, she still takes them because in each she learns something new. Her son, Alex, also attends PNC.

Angel Kolivas
Angel is a full time mom and freshman at Purdue. After 20 years of meaningless jobs, she decided to hang up her waitress apron when she was expecting her second child. College has helped her discover her talents. This essay is the first she ever wrote, in her first college English class.
Angel feels fortunate every day for the opportunities she's been given . She would like to thank her son who makes it possible for her to attend class by babysitting his little sister, and also her mother who supports her in everything she does.

Ginny Borolov
Ginny was born in Michigan City and has lived in the area most of her life. After a stay in Miami of 14 years, she became convinced that paradise is really at the end of the pier at Michigan City beach and not in South Florida. She returned to the area in 1999 and set her sights on getting a degree from PNC. She started the educational process at the age of 42 and although it sometimes seems that graduation day is miles away, she enjoys the process and greets each new semester with enthusiasm. Ginny believes that what's important is what you do with each minute of the gift of life that you've been given.

Haleigh Walker
At 19 years of age Haleigh Walker is attending PNC as a first year freshman and has an undecided degree at the moment. She loves music and children hopes that she will find a career that focuses on that. She graduated high school from Victory Christian Academy. She has grown up in a godly, loving family that has taught her to use the gifts God has given her for Him.

Sarah Lasser
Sarah is a sophomore at PNC working towards an English degree. Her future plan includes continuing on through graduate school in order to eventually obtain both a masters and a doctorate in the English field.

Sarah Redmond
Sarah Redmond was born in Syracuse,New York, but she relocated with her family to Indiana, where she graduated from Valparaiso High School. Sarah’s love for the transforming powers of makeup and hair styling led her to earn her cosmetology license from Excel Academy of Cosmetology. She currently works as a hair stylist and makeup artist while pursuing a degree in Elementary Education.
Sweethearts throughout High School, Sarah married her husband John in 2006. She is an active member of the Porter County Junior Fair Board, enjoys spending time with her family, discovering new products and applications for cosmetics, practicing the violin, and playing with her chihuahua, Carlos.

Jim Fox
James H. Fox was born in Chicago and has lived in Indiana most of his life. A licensed wildlife rehabilitator and long-time steel mill worker, his stories mean to pay tribute to the people he's known whose lives might otherwise seem insignificant. He is a senior in the Liberal Studies program concentrating in humanities and lives in La Porte with his cats and turtles...

Ashleigh Griswold
Ashleigh graduated from LaPorte High School in 2008. She is currently a freshman working on a Bachelor’s Degree in English. Her direction is to do something in the field of Law. She enjoys reading, writing, going to the movies, and playing tennis in her free time. Ashleigh lives with her mom, dad, little brother, and dog for the time being. She dreams of someday living on the east coast, publishing a book, and having a family.

Cynthia DeSantiago
Cynthia DeSantiago, a Chicago native and full time student at PNC, played a small role with her family in her high school as a guitarist and sketch artist. Now in Purdue she has taken her sketch work to what she believes is the next level by entering her art as a represantation of her home. Her culture is what inspires her art and brings out the detail she uses as for her life.

Pleasant Gagaleski
Pleasant Gagaleski is a senior who will be receiving her Bachelors in Industrial Engineering this December. She resides in Rolling Prairie with her husband, Janko and their pets. Her second place photo, “Looking back”, is of her husband in Samuil Fortress, built in the 900’s, and is located in his home land of Macedonia. He is overlooking Lake Ohrid towards the Greece boarder with the rural part of the city of Ohrid in the background. Macedonia was part of former Yugoslavia and is best known for Alexander the Great and Mother Theresa.

List of Portals Winners