On Tuesday, October 24th, members of the CHS chapter of the National Honor Society volunteered at the Northwest Indiana Forum’s annual Ignite the Region event. Ignite was the first regional economic development plan. Ignite was granted $50 million from Indiana’s READI program. As a result of IGNITE, there is now over $700 million being invested in our region.
The event took place at the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City. The Chesterton volunteers arrived before the event started to help check the business members in. Handing out name tags and answering questions from the attendees, the NHS members gained real experience on what it is like to be in a real professional environment.
“It was a cool experience seeing people in that business environment. You don’t always think about everyday jobs like that,” said Senior and NHS Member, Zoe Trakas.
Once the attendees were checked in and began to amalgamate, the event promptly kicked off and the CHS students were invited in to sit at the luncheon. Over 600 business leaders were present and the NHS members were interspersed in and around them. With eight to ten people at a table, it was quite a unique experience, as the volunteers were given time to speak and mingle with the leaders and were allowed to ask questions about the event and business.
“At my table, different business leaders spoke to me about their business and asked me about my plans for the future. They gave me some advice and it was just cool to speak with them overall,” said senior NHS member, Megan Wilcox.
The luncheon started with a salad followed by a main course of chicken, potatoes, and green beans. The meal concluded with a delicious cheesecake. As people began to finish their food, Ignite President and CEO, Heather Ennis, began speaking about Ignite, its initiatives, and its success.
“I am beyond amazed at Northwest Indiana’s ability to outperform itself, and the best is yet to come. Greater opportunities truly exist here,” said Ennis.
Once Ennis’s introduction concluded, she introduced the guest of honor, Governor Eric Holcomb. As Holcomb took the stage, a standing ovation erupted. Ennis and Holcomb began speaking about Northwest Indiana’s economy and the future. Ennis questioned Holcomb about his involvement and his vision for the economic future of NWI. The Chesterton Volunteers were fortunate enough to be in the room and hear the insightful information about their region.
“It was interesting hearing him speak. Before then, I hadn’t heard him and it was cool to see the governor up close”, said Trakas.
As the interview wrapped up, Governor Holcomb presented Ennis with the Sagamore of the Wabash award. The award is given to Hoosiers who have made great impacts in their community and is revered as one of the highest honors in the state of Indiana. After the award was presented, another standing ovation erupted. Ennis then called upon the high school volunteers to take a group picture with the governor. Holcomb shook hands with the members and graciously took the photo right before he departed in a helicopter to another event in Rensselaer, Indiana.
Overall, the event posed a great opportunity for Chesterton’s NHS members to gain great experience in a professional setting. Through meeting different business members and listening to the interview, the volunteers also learned much about the goings on in the region. Chesterton was well-represented at the event and made for a great day!
