What Gary Gave Me

After growing up across multiple Gary neighborhoods and building a life elsewhere, Janae Scott, 34, says the city’s greatest gift was a sense of community and service that still guides her today.

This account has been condensed and edited for clarity.

People love to talk about what Gary has lost.

What I remember is what it gave me.

Even after living in Oklahoma, Minnesota, and Nevada, the thing I miss most about my hometown is the sense of community. Growing up between Dorie Miller and Miller Beach, I learned that Gary’s greatest strength was never its buildings or businesses. It was its people.

I was raised on the East Side, spent most of my childhood at my grandmother’s home in Dorie Miller, and later moved to Miller. Even though I never lived on the West Side, I attended Banneker Elementary, Tolleston Middle School, and West Side High School. Traveling across the city every day gave me a chance to experience Gary in a way that many people didn’t. I saw different neighborhoods, different families, and different experiences, but what connected all of them was a strong sense of community.

My parents are still active in Gary today, and they had a huge influence on my life. Watching them dedicate themselves to helping others inspired me to do the same. Today, I work in social services and serve as a housing commissioner in Las Vegas. That desire to serve people comes directly from how I was raised. Growing up, I watched my parents help people every day, and that taught me that success isn’t just about what you accomplish for yourself. It’s about what you do for others.

That’s one of the lessons Gary gave me.

People can say a lot of negative things about the city, but when someone needed help or there was an event happening, people showed up. There was always a sense that we were connected to one another. That’s something I’ve never forgotten, no matter where I’ve lived.

When people ask how Gary has changed, I see both challenges and progress. The city still has work to do, especially when it comes to creating opportunities for young people. But I also see investment happening. Buildings that sat abandoned for years are finally coming down, and there are people working every day to make neighborhoods stronger.

What gives me the most hope is my generation.

Many people I grew up with have chosen to invest in Gary instead of walking away from it. They’re opening businesses, mentoring young people, organizing events, and creating opportunities for others. They’re choosing to be part of the city’s future.

I believe that’s important because children learn by example. The young people growing up in Gary today are watching adults who believe in the city and are willing to invest in it. If that continues, Gary will look very different 20 or 30 years from now.

If there’s one thing I hope never gets lost, it’s Gary’s culture and sense of community. I want the city to grow, but I want the people who built it to benefit from that growth.

If my grandchildren read this years from now, I want them to know that Gary made me who I am. It taught me resilience, service, and pride in where I come from. No matter where life takes me, I’ll always be proud to say I’m from Gary, Indiana.