#PeopleofNEI: Sonya, making real change

Northeast Indiana is evolving. These are the people shaping its future. #PeopleofNEI

This week’s feature:

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Sonya is a first generation Mexican American living on the south side of Fort Wayne. Born and raised in Texas near the Mexico border, she has lived in Fort Wayne since 2011. She works as a processor in downtown Fort Wayne, and also hosts a podcast called Fort 806 that focuses on the stories of Fort Wayne locals. She loves people and their stories, felt drawn to northeast Indiana, and believes our region is moving forward like never before. “I have lived everywhere from Texas to Wyoming to Los Angeles, but Fort Wayne is home. Something in me was drawn to this place. I made relationships here. I found my husband here. I had goals and wanted to get my degree and have a career. Fort Wayne has given me that. I am still trying to make a difference and figure this place out. It is constantly evolving and I really dig it. I see the good in people and the progress. I see people willing to move forward. That is important to me. In 2016, the politics in our country made me feel like as a Mexican woman that it gave people in our country a reason to hate me. It has been hard dealing with that. That is why my neighborhood is so important to me. The south side of Fort Wayne is filled with human beings trying to work and make ends meet so their kids can have a solid education. There’s a good sense of community in my neighborhood and on my street. People make an effort to work on their houses and keep an eye out for each other and stay connected. That inspires me. I feel like its my job to be a strong, educated, Mexican woman. I bought a house. I started a business. I don’t have children. The women in my family are forces to be reckoned with and we work hard. What I find most interesting about northeast Indiana is that the people I have met here are eager to see the evolution, and put forth the effort to change it. There’s a lot of genuine people here. Those people are the ones making this place what it’s supposed to be. That’s why I started my Fort 806 podcast. I’m really interested in hearing stories from locals and creating a dialogue. I want to learn from people and maybe they can learn something from me, too. That is how we make real change in Fort Wayne.” #PeopleofNEI

A post shared by Input Fort Wayne (@inputfortwayne) on Oct 2, 2018 at 11:35am PDT

#PeopleofNEI: Sonya, making real change

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