The University of Olivet honored two students with the John W. Porter Community Responsibility Scholarship at its 20th annual Leadership for Individual and Social Responsibility Awards Dinner May 11 at the Country Club of Lansing.
Ndamona “Mona” Hinamanu, a junior from Lansing, and Julianna Carter, a sophomore from Muskegon, were selected for demonstrating individual and social responsibility through their involvement and service to the college and their community.
At the age of 38, Dr. John W. Porter was the youngest chief state school officer and the first black state school superintendent in the nation. In 1979, Dr. Porter served as president of Eastern Michigan University. From 1989 to 1991, he served as the general superintendent for Detroit Public Schools. During his tenure, the district went from having a $160 million deficit and unbalanced budget to a $35 million surplus.
In 2001, Dr. Porter was awarded the The University of Olivet Leadership Award for his commitment to Olivet’s educational philosophy of individual and social responsibility. In gratitude of this honor, he established an endowed scholarship for current students at The University of Olivet who demonstrate leadership and community involvement.