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Mentor of the Year - John Noling
John Noling has spent his entire life helping to provide opportunities for Muskegon’s youth. He has mentored countless young people and helped them aspire to be leaders in their community. A retired teacher, John has served with the Muskegon Rotary Club since 2006 and quickly took the lead on many youth initiatives. He had a dream of starting youth Rotary Clubs in schools to help them develop leadership skills through mentoring. It has been nine years since this beginning, and as a direct result of his efforts, over 150 students are now involved. The goal of the program is to encourage youth to take action and build international understanding, as they discover the power of Service above Self. To develop the program, John recruited students, helped fundraise, and led many youth international service trips to increase access to clean water and latrines and build multi-generational houses in other countries. John has dedicated his life to engaging youth in opportunities that will help them develop skills that will last a lifetime. Whether he is serving as a key volunteer for the “Sisters Cities” youth exchange program to Japan, planning Law Day, or ensuring that children have the ability to learn how to fish, John will do the behind the scenes work that empowers other mentors to step into the lives of youth and make a lasting impact. As Muskegon County Commissioner Bob Scolnick said: “John is very humble, and he never seeks credit, but his tireless efforts have made a tremendous difference for youth in our community.”