The Alan and Mary Jo Lincoln (ALMJ) Scholarship program, presented by Riverside Sales Group, LLC, awarded its 2026 scholarship to Mr. Raymond Porter III of Pittsburgh, PA and Mr. Timothy Carter of Detroit, MI.
This year, we received almost 600 applications, a record number for the program. Applicants for the scholarship are graduating African American high school seniors who plan to attend college or trade school full-time. Applicants must have maintained a minimum 2.5 GPA and demonstrated leadership by engaging in school and community activities. Mr. and Mrs. Alan and Mary Jo Lincoln believe in supporting the educational advancement of future African-American leaders and are committed to alleviating part of the financial burden of college/trade school attendance.
Mr. Timothy Carter, Jr. graduated in May 2026 with a 3.92 GPA from Cass Technical High School in Detroit where he excelled in a rigorous curriculum of Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. He began his freshman year at the University of Michigan this fall studying cellular, molecular, and developmental biology. His career goals include becoming a pediatrician and opening his own pediatric clinic to serve underserved communities. To achieve this goal, Timothy participated in pre-college medical programs sponsored by Michigan State University, including Future DOcs and OSTEOChamps, as well as RYSE MED (Readying Youth Scientists for Excellence in Medicine, Education and Discovery) sponsored by the Henry Ford Medical Group.
Described by his mentors as an “ambitious and driven young man with a promising future in healthcare,” his “insight, initiative, and commitment” during a group project and presentation delivered to an audience of over 300 people earned him a coveted and singular position as a high school panelist for the 2025 RYSE cohort, where he offered his experiences and advice to incoming pre-medicine high school students.
Timothy’s medical ambitions also extended to his school and community participation, as he served as the President of the Medical Careers Club and the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine Pre-College Alumni Association. Mr. Carter committed himself fully to student leadership during his high school career, as he also served as the Chinese Language and Culture Club Co-President, National Honor Society Secretary of Community Service, DECA Vice President of Finance, and CIEE Study Abroad Ambassador. His volunteer work includes Freedom Freedom Growers and Corewell Health Outpatient Pharmacy.
Congratulations, Timothy!
Photo courtesy of Mr. Timothy Carter, Jr.
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Mr. Raymond Porter, III graduated in May 2026 with a 3.67 GPA from Central Catholic High School and recently began his freshman year at Duquesne University where he studies piano performance with a jazz emphasis.
An accomplished pianist, Raymond has played with the PIJF All-Star Band at the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, the Little Big Band and Honor Ensemble at the West Virginia University Jazz Festival, The Urban Impact Jazz Band, and Center of Life Jazz. He was also a member of Central Catholic’s Blue Knights Jazz Band and Blue Knights Honors Combo. As a senior, Raymond was awarded the Peter J. Spadaro Award for Excellence in Instrumental Music and the Louis Armstrong Award, the highest interscholastic honor given to high school jazz students in the United States.
As an actor and vocalist, Raymond performed the lead in Central Catholic’s 2024 musical “Samson: The Wrestling Musical,” and sang tenor in the Eastminster Presbyterian Church Youth Praise Band. Outside of his musical endeavors, Raymond also ran indoor and outdoor Track and Field as a sprinter and participated in the Big Brother Program.
Described by his teachers as an “exceptional young man who has made a lasting impact on our school community through his creativity, musical talent, leadership, and character,” it’s not hard to see why! Congratulations, Raymond!
Photo courtesy of Mr. Raymond Porter, III