Honoring Michael Hairston through the gift of scholarship
Michael Hairston was a kind, talented, happy-go-lucky kid.
“Every parent thinks they have the best children,” says Marilyn Hairston. “But I really did have the best one. He was just very loving, very caring. He loved people and he could make you laugh. And he was just so polite. Even at 18-years-old, when most kids are doing whatever they want, he would ask permission to do things out of respect.”
Growing up in Portsmouth in the 1990s, Michael was drawn to many of the most popular cultural interests of the time. He loved basketball. He loved fashion, particularly tennis shoes. He loved music. And he loved life.
“I’m not just saying this because he was my son,” says Gary Hairston. “But he was the nicest kid I ever met.”
It was not until Michael reached Portsmouth High school that he discovered a love, and a talent, for drawing. Portsmouth art teacher Sharee Price helped mentor Michael through his high school years and continued to teach him in multiple art classes at Shawnee State as well. With her guidance, Michael started to develop his own unique style of art by fusing abstract pop and hip-hop imagery with the graffiti aesthetics of the 80s and 90s. Then the unthinkable happened.
In December of 1997, shortly after finishing the Fall quarter of his sophomore year at Shawnee State, Michael suddenly passed away after an acute battle with bacterial meningitis. His untimely death shook the Shawnee State community. As a reminder of their son’s passion and creativity, Gary and Marilyn Hairston have many of Michael’s vibrant drawings framed and hanging on the walls of their den.
Marilyn and Gary Hairston keep many of Michael’s paintings framed and hanging throughout their home.
While Michael’s caring nature and artistic talent will be remembered by many in the Portsmouth area for years to come, the Hairstons also wanted to honor their son’s legacy by giving back. With support and encouragement from their co-workers at the time, Gary and Marilyn established the Michael Hairston Memorial Scholarship through the Shawnee State Development Foundation in the spring of 1999. The original scholarship awarded $1,000 to a Portsmouth High School graduate majoring in visual arts at Shawnee State. In the spring of 2024. the annual award increased to $2,000 and the scholarship’s parameters expanded to any senior at Portsmouth High School who wants to attend Shawnee State.
The Hairston family has a storied history with the university. Michael’s father Gary Hairston was a member of the first baccalaureate class of the university and has continuously supported Shawnee State in various ways over the last three decades, including a six-year stint on the board of the Development Foundation.
The Hairstons launched the Michael Hairston Memorial Scholarship in 1999. In early 2024, the couple expanded the parameters of the scholarship and doubled its funding to $2,000.
“I still think that Shawnee State is the best thing that's ever happened to the city of Portsmouth,” says Gary Hairston. “There's not even a close second. There are a lot of communities going up and down the Ohio River that would love to have a Shawnee State in their city limits.”
With the recent increase and expansion of the Michael Hairston Scholarship, Gary and Marilyn have ensured that more financial support is available for local students in need. For the Hairstons, the process of giving back is a gratifying way to honor their son and support the school that meant so much to him and their entire family.
“We have watched Shawnee grow from its inception to what it is today,” explains Gary. “And there’s not been one time where we considered using that money for something else. It’s been very gratifying. And as long as we are able, that money will be available. And we’ve already told our daughter that when we are gone, that it is up to her to continue it on.”
To find out more about naming opportunities and scholarships offered through the Shawnee State Development Foundation, visit Named Scholarships.
