#1StudentNWI: Portage Celebrates Stellar Athletes and Teachers

#1StudentNWI: Portage Celebrates Stellar Athletes and Teachers

Student in the Spotlight:
Portage High School is full of talented students that are involved in many sports, clubs and extracurricular activities. For this months student in the spotlight we are recognizing an amazing athlete that is not only involved in the school but as well in the community, Kale Nelson.

Nelson is a senior at PHS and is heavily involved in sports at the high school. He is on the varsity basketball team as well as the varsity baseball team.

“I’ve been playing [basketball and baseball] since I was four years old,” Nelson said. “My family is really what got me involved in these sports.”

Nelson’s older brother played both basketball and baseball growing up so he says he was always surrounded by sports. His father also played baseball and coaches basketball. Nelson has played both sports all four years he’s been at the high school and is sad to be ending his journey.

Throughout his basketball career there has been some ups and downs. At the beginning on this season Nelson suffered from a stress fracture to his ankle. He only had to miss a couple weeks but he said it was disappointing.

“It was disappointing to miss the start of the season but I’m glad to be back and practicing every day and playing,” Nelson said. “It was a tough situation but it is what it is.”

1Student-Portage-Jan-2018-02“I don’t plan on playing sports in college,” Nelson said, “I just want to really concentrate on school.”

After his basketball season is over, Nelson jumps right into baseball. He plans on playing for his senior year and says he sets goals for himself as well as for the team.

“We [the team] want to compete at a high level in conference play and go as deep into the state tournament as we possibly can,” Nelson said.

With this, Nelson hopes that he can improve individually as a player.

“I want to build and improve on last year and I don’t want to take any steps back so that I can help my team be more successful this year,” Nelson said.

With these goals, Nelson doesn’t just want to do big things as a team but he wants all the younger players to look to him as a leader so that when they get to his age they can do the same. Aside from sports Nelson will be attending college in th fall. He will be attending Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. He has received direct admittance into the Kelley School of Business where he will be studying business.

Being involved in sports is not the only thing Nelson is doing. He is a proud member of the Foreign Language Honor Society at PHS. He says he is very happy to be inducted into this program.

“It was very exciting to have excelled so much and to have learned about that new culture,” Nelson said. He was inducted through the spanish department.

In 2016 Nelson was recognized as the South Haven Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year. In order to receive this honor you must be a member that shows leadership qualities and a good character so that they can represent their club.

“It was very fun and exciting experience and I am lucky to have been honored,” Nelson said.

Nelson is excited to move on to new beginnings but will miss high school dearly.

“I’ll miss sports a lot,” Nelson said. “I’ll miss the relationships and moments you make with your teammates. Even the hard parts of sports, I’ll miss every second.”

Teacher in the Spotlight:

1Student-Portage-Jan-2018-05Portage High School has some amazing teachers and staff that help students grow and excel every day. However, one teacher has changed the lives of many in a different way.

For this months teacher in the Spotlight we look at educator, Melissa Deavers-Lowie. Someone many consider to be one of the best teachers at PHS.

Deavers-Lowie has been advising the publications department for 11 years as well as teaching english 12 and a journalism class.

The publication classes that she advises are yearbook and newspaper, and she previously advised the high school's broadcasting publication.

In 2015 Deavers-Lowie earned her Certified Journalism Educators status from the journalism education association, where she has served as a member for around 10 years. The Indiana High School Press Association has named her Indiana Journalism Advisor of the Year as well. Adding to her achievements, she was inducted into the Ball State Journalism Education Hall of Fame.

Howvere, Deavers-Lowie didn’t always see herself as being a journalism teacher.

“When I was in high school I wanted to be a journalist, with my favorite journalist being Ernie Pyle [one of the first wartime journalist], I wanted to do what he did too,” Deavers-Lowie said. “I wanted to see the world and write about all these countries, I was dead set on doing that.”

Deavers-Lowie’s mom on the other hand was concerned for her daughter. Being a traveling journalist is tough and she wanted her daughter to have a backup so that’s what Deavers-Lowie did, she had her backup. That being her teaching license.

With coming close to having to choose what type of journalism she wanted to pursue, Deavers-Lowie’s advisor at the time suggested that she go for journalism education so she could a little taste of everything.

Going into college she decided to go the teaching route even though she wasn’t full happy with that decision. But once she started working more with high school students and started researching education more she fell in love.

“High school students are totally underestimated,” Deavers-Lowie said. “You guys do such cool things and watching other journalism classrooms function at such a high level really inspired me.”

Not only has Deaver-Lowie herself won numerous awards but several students under her teachings have as well.

“It feels better when my students do well then when I do,” Deavers-Lowie said. “They’ve won so many awards from Ball State, IHSPA, onsite contest, as well as national contests.”

Not only this, but she has had many Student Journalist of the Year finalists that have been under her name, with one of her students even winning, Lydia Gerkie.

Deavers-Lowie has been an inspiration for many young journalists, as well as myself, and her teachings will forever have made an impact at PHS. From her numerous awards to having her students win numerous awards, Deavers-Lowie is doing something right and hopes to continue to help others to wanting to pursue a journalistic career.

Upcoming Events:

1Student-Portage-Jan-2018-03The weekend of February 3 Portage High School will be hosting the Outstanding Young Man competition. Senior boys will be going through a variety of events to win scholarships and ultimately be named Portage High School’s Outstanding Young Man. Tickets will be sold for 10 dollars.

Not only this, but on February 15 in the PHS auditorium the Prom Fashion show will be put on for the HOSA class at PHS. The show will be at PHS and will showcase the latest fashions in prom wear for this upcoming prom season. The dresses for the girls will be provided from Paris House of Bridal Fashions in Michigan City, and the suits for the boys will be provided by Louie’s Tux Shop or from Dunhill Tux Shop.

1Student-Portage-Jan-2018-04For any questions concerning these two events please check out the Portage High School website for updates.