Local Wins and Milestones: A Look at Recent Achievements

In the world of education and technology, big things are happening right here in our community. Purdue University Northwest's College of Technology just scored over $3 million in grants from the U. S. Department of Defense. This money is going towards boosting education and workforce development in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. The university's Center for Cybersecurity is getting $3 million to keep running its online programs. These programs teach AI literacy, cybersecurity administration, and digital forensics. The best part? They're free for accepted applicants. If you're interested, check out their website for more details. Meanwhile, the Northwest Indiana Influential Women Association celebrated a big milestone. They just graduated their first group of mentees from their mentorship program. The program pairs up-and-coming professionals with experienced leaders for six months. The goal is to help these women grow, gain confidence, and advance in their careers. The graduation ceremony took place at the Professional Women’s Conference in Michigan City.Over at Morton High School, a student named Josue Pedraza won the 2025 Congressional App Challenge. He created an app called “RoboticsMuse, ” which is an educational hub for robotics. The app offers resources and interactive lessons for students interested in STEM. Josue’s app will be displayed in the U. S. Capitol and featured on the House. gov website for a year. Pretty impressive, right? In other news, Cursive Academy has achieved non-profit status. The academy, run by Terrell and Chelsea Whittington, teaches students the basics of cursive handwriting. They've already graduated 83 students. To celebrate their new status, Terrell Whittington will be teaching a free, two-day cursive workshop at the Gary Public Library. If you're interested, you can email Chelsea for more information. Lastly, the Lake County Public Defender’s office recognized two of their staff members with The Chief’s Award. Scott Schmal, the finance director, and attorney Felipe Sanchez were honored for their support and vision. The award was created in 2019 to recognize those who share the office’s goals.