They may be only 18, but two graduating Chesterton High School seniors played a valuable role in serving on the town of Porter’s Environmental Sustainability Commission.
Isabel Durkin and Devin Throw were founding members of the commission, which was established in September 2024.
“They’re both very impressive young adults. We’re going to miss them,” said Jennifer Dimitroff, who is the commission’s president.
Councilwoman Laura Madigan, who helped create the commission, said that Durkin and Throw did an “amazing” job and were never thought of as junior members.
“They were treated like full-fledged members with an equal vote and equal value. Their ideas were respected,” Madigan said.
On Tuesday, Durkin attended her last Sustainability Commission meeting, while Throw will end his tenure with next month’s meeting.
During the meeting, Durkin and Throw participated in the conversations about the annual Earth Day Trash Pickup and the town’s proposed ordinance that would require outdoor lighting to be more environmentally friendly.
Throw even volunteered to write the email to the Town Council, stating that the commission supports the town’s continued participation in the Bird Town Indiana program.
From the commission’s start, Durkin and Throw participated in shaping its mission.
It was Durkin who composed the commission’s mission statement: “The Environmental Sustainability Commission aims to protect our natural resources, promote sustainable development, and collaborate closely with our community to preserve and prioritize our natural environment and lakeshore.”
Dimitroff said that Durkin organized a presentation about raising monarch butterflies, which was put on the town’s website. Dimitroff said she leaned on Durkin’s computer expertise.
When volunteers were needed for Earth Day, Dimitroff said Durkin was the one who helped recruit fellow National Honor Society members from the high school to help pitch in.
Durkin said she enjoyed the opportunity to work on the commission.
“There’s a lot that happens in our community that we don’t realize happens,” Durkin said. “It was a really cool opportunity to be involved.”
At the 2025 Earth Day event, Throw insisted on taking home 128.7 pounds of trash collected on an almost half-mile stretch of Waverly Road. Throw then catalogued the 1,778 pieces of trash.
Later, Throw shared his results in a PowerPoint presentation to the Porter Town Council, noting that 26% of the items could have been recycled. He also made several suggestions to town officials, including the installation of sensors in high litter areas and more law enforcement.
“That was as impressive a work as I have ever seen,” Councilwoman Madigan said about the presentation.
Throw on his own also made an inventory of trees in residential neighborhoods, which identified potential issues for the town to address.
“It was a phenomenal opportunity for me as a student to have my voice matter,” Throw said.
Both seniors are extremely busy, closing out their high school careers.
Durkin said she had a French final exam the next morning as she works to complete her International Baccalaureate high school degree.
While at Chesterton High School, Durkin achieved All-American recognition in Speech and Debate and was team captain. She also finished third in the state’s speech tournament last fall.
Durkin also participated in Interact, the high school version of Rotary.
In August, Durkin will start at St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, where she plans to study neuroscience and eventually pursue a doctorate in psychology.
After Tuesday night’s Sustainability Commission meeting, Throw was looking forward to running in the 200-meter race at the sectional meet. He also participated in the 100-meter and 4-by-100 relay during his high school track career.
Throw is also the senior class president, so he is busy planning the senior banquet and the upcoming June 3 graduation. He was also president of Unified Buddies, which helps to organize Special Olympics events, and participated in the student chapter of the Red Cross.
The next act for Throw is attending Indiana University in Bloomington, where he plans to major in international relations, philosophy, and international law and institutions, with a minor in Arabic.
As for his immediate plans, Throw joked: “I am looking forward to sleeping this summer.”
Jim Woods is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
