Porter May Named Private School Middle School Student of the Year

It's a proud day at First Baptist Church School, as one of its 8th-graders is named one of six regional finalists for 2016 Middle School Student of the Year.

The Louisiana Department of Education selected Porter to compete for the overall state winner title from public and select private schools. The competition and awards ceremony will take place in Baton Rouge in April.

According to a news release from First Baptist, May won the school-level Student of the Year competition in February and went on to compete at the regional level among other regional private school winners. After judging of his portfolio and a panel review, he was named Regional Private School Middle School Student of the Year and moved on to the state competition.

At state, Porter's portfolio was reviewed, he wrote an extemporaneous essay, and he was interviewed by a panel of three judges. Afterward, he was named State of Louisiana Private School Middle School Student of the Year.

"Porter exhibits leadership, character and integrity, both at school and in the community. He is a humble and exemplary student who embodies the ideals that we stive to instill in the students at First Baptist," said Head of School Dr. James Gillespie. "We are extremely proud of him for representing the private schools in our state and wish him the best in the state competition."

Porter is involved in a variety of organizations and activities at school, church and in the community. At school, he's Student Council Vice President, he played the lead role in this year's middle school production of 'The Aristocrats, Jr.' and he's on the basketball team.

In the community, Porter has participated in Cub Scouts, in Operation Christmas Child, Maggie Lee for Good, and has volunteered for Gingerbread House, Holy Angels and the NWLA Food Bank.

We wish him luck in the overall state competition.