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“It was getting to the point where I would put in 200 to 250 hours a month, month after month, for years,” said Dustin Humm, owner of eKeeper Systems. “Working 250 hours is not healthy.” Founded in 2004, the Yorktown-based IT services company that began with a handful of employees…

From the first day, she arrived in Muncie seeking refuge from her native Lebanon—immigrating from a bitter civil war that left her homeland in ruins—Roza “Ro” Selvey has been on a mission to give back to the community that supports her. “I came to the U.S. in my early 20’s…

It was the fall of 2020. Twelve Ivy Tech Community College students from the Muncie campus had been selected to participate in the Student Leadership Academy, an annual 10-week leadership training program. Participants would be rewarded with a three-credit scholarship. As Assistant Director of Student Support & Development, it was…

Shafer Leadership Academy program helped Dorica Young-Watson find her voice. The kids in Dorica Young-Watson’s third-grade class excitedly shared their costumes for the school Halloween parade, a highlight of Young-Watson’s year. “I’m going to be Wonder Woman,” she announced, proudly. “You can’t be Wonder Woman,” a boy stated, matter-of-factly. “Wonder…

Like many people who live in the community they grew up in, Jeff Robinson had a lot of ideas for what Muncie needed. He got involved any way he knew how, serving on committees and taking on leadership roles in local organizations. But in 2018, he started wondering whether it…

Suzanne Clem is in the business of listening. As director of Community Awareness at Open Door Health Services, Clem connects with neighbors about their needs related to healthcare and access. She hears what makes them feel valued and safe, then she works with leaders at Open Door to build those…

Emery Peck thought he knew what his passion was. He enjoyed working with kids. As a teenager, it had made him a popular babysitter. As a preschool teacher at the YMCA, he got to educate children and share his love of art with them. It was meaningful work, but it…

When the Whitely Community Council (WCC) transitioned from being a volunteer-led neighborhood association to an organization headed by an executive director and board, everyone braced for culture shock. Since 1966, Muncie’s Whitely neighborhood has been a model of progressive resident advocacy. What began as a small group of residents meeting…