Gary is my home. It's my life. It's my history. I love my city.

For Alise Thomas, Gary is more than a place; it’s home, history, and a way of life. Born and raised in the city, she has spent 23 years working at U.S. Steel, following a family legacy rooted in Northwest Indiana’s industrial economy. Her father worked at the DuPont Acid Plant, and her grandfather at Inland Steel.

She remembers a Gary where businesses thrived, and neighborhoods felt full of possibility. Today, abandoned buildings and the city’s changes can be discouraging. Still, Alise believes Gary is coming back.

She also sees cleaner steel as part of that future: cleaner air, healthier people, and good jobs that allow families to stay and build their lives in Gary.

Photos: Tyrell Anderson / Decay Devils