New 4-H Scholarship Honors Hal Porter of Citrus County

By Caylin Hinton

Created by longtime family friends, George and Carolyn Richardson, the Hal Porter 4-H Scholarship Endowment will provide educational scholarships to graduating 4-H seniors and alumni, with a preference for members of Citrus County 4-H and youth with financial need. As an endowment with the UF Foundation, the scholarship will be available annually through the Florida 4-H Scholarship process.

“We believe investing in our youth is one of the most important things we can do. We certainly appreciate the investments Hal has made in countless lives through his work with 4-H. It is an honor to recognize his friendship and commitment through this scholarship,” George Richardson shared.

“I appreciate those that took the time to mentor me and be part of my life as a young person. Hopefully somewhere down the line I have made a difference somehow in another child’s life,” said Porter. The Hal Porter 4-H Scholarship will certainly make an impact in students’ lives as they take their next steps through post-secondary education in college or technical training programs.

4-H Career and Service

Since he was 8 years old, Hal has been involved with the 4-H program. Today he continues living the 4-H pledge of “hands to larger service.” On November 18 and 19, Hal and fellow volunteers hosted the 26th Citrus Stampede Rodeo in Inverness, a professional rodeo benefiting Citrus County 4-H members.

Hal serves as president of the Citrus County 4-H Foundation. He has been the Citrus County Fair manager for more than 15 years. Hal is also the current First Vice President of the Florida Federation of Fairs. He was inducted into the Florida 4-H Hall of Fame in 2020.

As a 4-H member, Hal was a founding member of the Ease’s Rough Riders 4-H Club in Citrus County. He was involved in animal projects, as well as public speaking and citizenship programs. He served as a junior leader then as an assistant leader for the club. 

Florida 4-H State Program Leader Stacey Ellison shared, “in 4-H it is our aim to develop good people, and Hal certainly embodies what it means to be a good human. His mentorship to youth, commitment to 4-H and encouragement to see young people succeed in all they do is certainly a model for the positive adult influence 4-H has in the lives of young people.” 

Florida 4-H Scholarships

For more information about the Florida 4-H Foundation Scholarship program, visit https://florida4h.ifas.ufl.edu/youth/awards-and-recognition/4-h-scholarships. Scholarships may also be available at local, county level. 4-H scholarships often support youth to attend 4-H programs and educational pursuits.

If you’re interested in supporting 4-H members through an annual or endowed scholarship, contact Caylin Hilton at grow4H@ifas.ufl.edu or (352) 454-7073.

4-H is the youth development program of the Cooperative Extension Service. In Florida, 4-H is a program of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and Florida A&M University (FAMU). The UF Foundation and Florida 4-H Foundation are 501c3 organizations supporting the UF/IFAS Extension Florida 4-H Youth Development Program.