Goorhouse Gives Back at Home
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 24, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Three traits have been key in making Holland Christian grad Mike Goorhouse nationally-recognized as a civic leader on the rise.
He’s a strong communicator, which comes in handy when coordinating support for causes all over the state.
He’s a relationship builder, allowing him to develop strong rapport as he explains how everyone can give something back to their communities.
Finally, Goorhouse is a philanthropist – not just in job, but in life. He is the vice president for donor development at the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area, where he works to raise support for nonprofit organizations. He also has served on the boards of directors/trustees for eight organizations, and he and his wife financially contribute to more than 15.
But a fourth quality, nurtured during his tennis and soccer careers, has been an asset as well for the 2003-04 MHSAA Scholar-Athlete Award winner.
“I always loved the competition side of sports. I talk to people who own companies, run companies, run shops. The reason they hire people who were involved in athletics is because of that drive,” said Goorhouse, 27, who was named in 2011 as one of the top 30 civic leaders nationally under the age of 30 by online networking site Splashlife. “Not everyone has that drive to succeed, to win, get a goal.
“Succeeding in the non-profit world looks a lot different. But it takes the same drive.”
Goorhouse was among scholar-athletes recognized during the winter of 2004 by the MHSAA and Farm Bureau Insurance, which continues to sponsor the Scholar-Athlete Award program that has grown to honor 32 recipients annually. In advance of this March’s 25th celebration, Second Half is catching up with some of the hundreds who have been recognized (see additional links at the bottom of this page).
Earning a Scholar-Athlete Award likely meant more to Goorhouse than many of the other 607 who have been recognized over the quarter century. His grandfather, father and brother all have served as MHSAA officials, and his dad and brother both coach as well.
Mike also is part of a third generation of Goorhouses who annually attend the MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals, during which the Scholar-Athlete winners are recognized. He joined his dad and grandfather starting at 8 or 9 years old, and every year would read the bios of Scholar-Athlete Award winners in the Finals program and watch them line up on the court during halftime of the Class C championship game.
“Honestly, I wanted to be that,” Goorhouse said. “I had a lot of respect for the ability to balance academics and sports, and be good at both."
Goorhouse won the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 3 tennis title at No. 4 singles as a sophomore in 2002 and returned to the Finals at the No. 1 flight as a senior. He also played soccer at Holland Christian and then played tennis at Calvin College.
Tennis exposed Goorhouse to handling pressure on an individual basis while building mental toughness. Soccer was more about blending teammates’ skills and developing communication among the group.
“Everyone has his or her own version of the story, and that makes it more true; sports teaches a lot about leadership, and just about life and navigating the ups and downs, emotions, handling yourself under stress,” Goorhouse said. “I was in two way different sports, and it was fun to be able to see how those two things impacted me differently.”
As high school students begin focusing on college and potential occupations, professional giver probably isn’t an option many realize is possible. Goorhouse would’ve been counted in that group while at Holland Christian until becoming a member of the Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Council. That opportunity joined him with many of his sports opponents from around the Holland area as they assisted the foundation in grant making for youth causes.
The philanthropy bug stuck. After his freshman year at Calvin, Goorhouse interned with the statewide Council of Michigan Foundations, which then hired him parttime as a college sophomore and fulltime once he graduated.
He returned to the Community Foundation in 2012 and works with 1,500 donors who contribute to the Holland/Zeeland area.
As donations grow, so does the foundation’s ability to give grants. But it’s not all about money. An oft-quoted definition of philanthropy is the “giving of time, talent and treasure” – and Goorhouse, as he speaks to various groups, makes sure to emphasize “and” as the most important word of that statement while encouraging donors to give of themselves in all three ways.
“It’s who I am as a person that fits this job so perfectly. It’s hardly work,” Goorhouse said. “When they’re thinking about giving back to the community, they’re at their best. I get to talk about what they care about.”
Goorhouse earned his bachelor’s degree in secondary education and then a master’s in public administration from Grand Valley State University. He’s able to take advantage of his relative youth in the professional world to connect with high school students and explain to them the opportunities to give back as part of the non-profit world. He serves on the boards of generationOn and Learning to Give, which both focus on integrating service into pre-college education.
While the national recognition in 2011 might’ve carried the most significance among honors Goorhouse has received, another he earned in 2009 has been his most meaningful on a personal level.
He was honored with the inaugural Young Philanthropist of the Year award by the Community Foundation. He didn't begin work for that organization until three years later, but giving back in his hometown always has been close to his heart.
“I love this place. It’s not that I can only do this work here, but it’s extra special to do the work you love in the place that you love,” Goorhouse said. “I could’ve lived anywhere because I would be on the road regardless. But to come home where my family and friends are, to the community I know best, it’s special.”
Click to read the series' first installments:
- 25 Years Later, Scholar Athletes Shine On
- On Call as Doctor, Director, Mom
- "Mailloux Management" Goes Global
PHOTO: Mike Goorhouse sends a volley while playing tennis for Holland Christian. He won an MHSAA Scholar-Athlete Award in 2004. VIDEO: Goorhouse speaks in 2004 about playing for his high school tennis coach John Knoester.
Finalists Announced for 2023-24 MHSAA/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Awards
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 19, 2024
The 120 finalists for the Michigan High School Athletic Association's Scholar-Athlete Awards for the 2023-24 school year, presented by Farm Bureau Insurance, have been announced.
The program, in its 35th year, has recognized student-athletes since the 1989-90 school year and again this winter will honor 32 individuals from MHSAA member schools who participate in at least one sport in which the Association sponsors a postseason tournament.
Farm Bureau Insurance underwrites the Scholar-Athlete Awards and will present a $2,000 scholarship to each recipient. Since the beginning of the program, 928 scholarships have been awarded.
Scholarships will be presented proportionately by school classification, with 12 scholarships to be awarded to Class A student-athletes, six female and six male; eight scholarships will be awarded to Class B student-athletes, four female and four male; six scholarships will be awarded to Class C student-athletes, three female and three male; and four scholarships will be awarded to Class D student-athletes, two female and two male. In addition, two scholarships will be awarded at-large to minority recipients, regardless of school size.
Every MHSAA member high school could submit as many applications as there are scholarships available in its classification and could have more than one finalist. Ann Arbor Greenhills, Birmingham Seaholm, East Grand Rapids, Manistee and Midland Dow have three finalists this year. Seven schools have two finalists: Beal City, Britton Deerfield, Dearborn, Mason, Northville, Oxford, and Traverse City West.
Multiple-sport participation remains the norm among applicants. The average sport participation rate of the finalists is 2.88. There are 77 three-plus sport participants in the finalists field, and all but two of the 28 sports in which the MHSAA sponsors postseason tournaments are represented.
Of 445 schools which submitted applicants, 28 submitted the maximum allowed. This year, 1,607 applications were received. All applicants will be presented with certificates commemorating their achievement. Additional Scholar-Athlete Award information, including a complete list of scholarship nominees, can be found on the Scholar-Athlete page.
The applications were judged by a 65-member committee of school coaches, counselors, faculty members, administrators and board members from MHSAA member schools. Selection of the 32 scholarship recipients will take place in early February. Class C and D scholarship recipients will be announced Feb. 6, Class B scholarship recipients will be announced Feb. 13 and Class A scholarship recipients will be announced Feb. 20. All announcements will be made on the MHSAA Website.
To be eligible for the award, students must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 (on a 4.0 scale) and previously have won a varsity letter in at least one sport in which the MHSAA sponsors a postseason tournament. Students also were asked to respond to a series of short essay questions, and submit two letters of recommendation and a 500-word essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics.
Farm Bureau Insurance of Michigan was founded in 1949 by Michigan farmers who wanted an insurance company that worked as hard as they did. Those values still guide the company today and are a big reason why it is known as Michigan’s Insurance Company, dedicated to protecting the farms, families, and businesses of this great state. Farm Bureau Insurance agents across Michigan provide a full range of insurance services—life, home, auto, farm, business, retirement, Lake Estate®, and more—protecting nearly 500,000 Michigan policyholders.
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which exists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and competition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract more than 1.3 million spectators each year.
2023-24 Scholar-Athlete Award Finalists
GIRLS CLASS A
Yan Yee Adler, Ann Arbor Pioneer
Bella Adams, Battle Creek Lakeview
Katherine Slazinski, Birmingham Seaholm
Aya Moughni, Dearborn
Sam M. Peot, East Grand Rapids
Julia Holt, Farmington Hills Mercy
Tori Briggs, Fowlerville
Arianna Pate, Gibraltar Carlson
Cameron Herman, Hartland
Brooke Pedersen, Holland West Ottawa
Ella Chatfield, Jenison
Meghan Ford, Mason
Lauren VanSumeren, Midland Dow
Addison Raffle, Northville
Ella Boyd, Oxford
Abigail DeGraw, Rochester Hills Stoney Creek
Anna Lassan, South Lyon East
Lily Sackrider, St. Johns
Cecilia Ruchti, St. Joseph
Addison Booher, Traverse City Central
Ava King, Traverse City West
London Williams, Trenton
Sarah Fromm, Utica
Ryah Dewey, Walled Lake Western
BOYS CLASS A
Viraj Nautiyal, Birmingham Seaholm
Dylan Shoresh, Birmingham Seaholm
Charles Howell, Cadillac
Erik Giedeman, Dearborn
Joseph Stachelek, Detroit U-D Jesuit
Charlie Lentz, East Grand Rapids
Charlie Seufert, East Grand Rapids
Chris Piwowarczyk, Fenton
TJ Silvernale, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern
Jack Ryan, Grosse Pointe South
Jaden Reji, Livonia Churchill
Connor Curtis, Livonia Stevenson
Austin Martel, Mason
Jonathan Song, Midland Dow
Logan Yu, Midland Dow
Jaxson Whitaker, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer
Kyle Brown, Northville
Sean Wilson, Oxford
Anirudh Krishnan, Plymouth
Abrar Hossen, Portage Central
Andrew Miller, Saline
Jack Carlisle, Stevensville Lakeshore
Willem Howard Anthony DeGood, Traverse City West
Vansh Jvalit Baxi, Troy Athens
GIRLS CLASS B
Elaine Gordon, Adrian
Navya Ashok, Ann Arbor Greenhills
Anika Bery, Ann Arbor Greenhills
Hannah Herman, Buchanan
Gwenyth L. Geiger, Caro
Reese Herioux, Gladstone
Julie Ashbaugh, Grant
Grace deWaalMalefyt, Hudsonville Unity Christian
Megan Marta, Ishpeming Westwood
Addison Rutter, Kingsford
Libby McCarthy, Manistee
Cecilia Postma, Manistee
Malena Johnson, Marshall
Katelyn Baney, Paw Paw
Malia Thelen, Portland
Isabella DeWildt, Sault Ste. Marie
BOYS CLASS B
Angelo Ciarelli, Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard
Lucas Nor, Ann Arbor Greenhills
Austin Hinkley, Big Rapids
Logan Cripps, Brooklyn Columbia Central
Jackson Dell, Chelsea
William E. Ribby, Eaton Rapids
Logan Lipka, Frankenmuth
Charles Lindemann, Grand Rapids Catholic Central
Ben Sytsma, Grand Rapids Christian
Stephen Petersen, Hillsdale
Michael Stout, Howard City Tri County
Anthony Mariotti Goatley, Madison Heights Lamphere
Braydon Sorenson, Manistee
Ethan Chambliss, Niles
Aiden Roulo, St. Clair
Oliver Brown, Williamston
GIRLS CLASS C
Mikaela Ann Boyle, Bad Axe
Kylie Ott, Bridgman
Allison Bowles, Clinton
Jaida Schulte, Elk Rapids
Lauren Borsenik, Hemlock
Mariah Thompson, Houghton Lake
Lola Korpi, Ishpeming
Alexis Ewing, Jonesville
Adilyn Anne Ruggles, Marlette
Sara Dammann, New Lothrop
Brooke Spitzley, Pewamo-Westphalia
Claire Neumann, Saginaw Valley Lutheran
BOYS CLASS C
Carter Upper, Alcona
Payton Butkovich, Beal City
Jamisen Latham, Beal City
Tristan B. Harbaugh, Gobles
Niko Burgoon, Iron Mountain
Kannon Duffing, Manchester
Brad H. McNeill, Montrose
Jack Lantz, New Buffalo
Ryin Ruddy, Ottawa Lake Whiteford
Benjamin March, St. Louis
Julian Ahluwalia, Traverse City St. Francis
Landen Muska, Vassar
GIRLS CLASS D
Makenzee Grimm, Battle Creek St. Philip
Alivia Salenbien, Britton Deerfield
Alayna Salenbien, Britton Deerfield
Caroline Beggs, Clarkston Everest Collegiate
Rachel Case, Kimball New Life Christian
Mallory Lowe, Leland
Bonnie Kiger, Marion
Hazel Hysell, St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic
BOYS CLASS D
Samuel Wallace Lutz, Adrian Lenawee Christian
Jürgen Griswold, Ellsworth
Christian Besonen, Ewen-Trout Creek
Trenton Taratuta, Hillman
Ridley Fast, Hillsdale Academy
Ben McCaw, Lawrence
Nathan Mihills, Marcellus
Clayton Shoup, Mason County Eastern
PHOTO Scholar-Athlete Award medals are ready for presentation during the 2023 ceremony at Breslin Center.