Somehow it’s been 20 years since Michael “Whit” Whitaker set out for Savannah State University – a place that had a profound and lasting impact on his life and dreams. So it feels especially fitting, during this Homecoming week, to move forward with an idea I’ve spent many nights discussing with his friends and family: Establishing a scholarship in his name at SSU.

Michael was a lifelong student and a huge proponent of education. He arrived at Savannah State with just the right balance of focus and fun, and he was never far from his best friends Jay and Demetrius — sailing and fishing, or pranking and wrestling the other students in our dorm.

Over the years, he devoted more of his time to community service and mentorship, skillfully balancing commitments that established him as a campus leader on multiple fronts: As a member of ROTC, raising the bar with his impeccable discipline, speed and endurance. As a brother of the Delta Eta chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, leading initiatives like“Pharaoh’s Closet” – a program designed to teach young men how to tie ties and serve as a donation platform for lightly worn suits to help campus students and men throughout the city. As a residential assistant, enforcing a stringent degree of cleanliness. As a volunteer in the larger Savannah community, literally putting out fires and painting homes for the elderly. And as a generous friend to many, troubleshooting our computer issues, offering rides in his immaculately clean and bass-rattling Nissan and generously feeding everyone (but especially the ladies) his famous baked beans, hand-cut fries and fresh catch of the day.

Mike graduated in December 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and pledged his commitment to the United States Marine Corps before a crowd of students, families, faculty and alumni. Ten years, two deployments and three duty stations later, he earned a Master’s degree in computer science from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. His research on autonomous conditions-based maintenance brought him to his final assignment at the Pentagon and became a formally approved and funded program within the Department of Defense.

Despite a demanding military career, Mike found time to keep learning. He taught himself new coding languages and mentored aspiring programmers from underrepresented communities – a passion deeply influenced by SSU’s commitment to increase access to tech for marginalized groups. In 2022, the Department of Education awarded the school with a grant for over $830,000 to launch a new Computer Science Technology modeling and simulation program aimed at boosting diversity in the field. According to WSAV, it is one of the few HBCUs on the east coast to offer such a degree track.

In keeping with Michael’s spirit for coding education, his love for SSU, and with the support of his friends and the Whitaker family, we have endeavored to launch an endowed computer science scholarship in his honor. Our goal is to raise $25,000 by May 2026, which Title III will match for a total of $50,000. The principal will be invested by the university and remain untouched, ensuring that the scholarship continues to grow and provide annual awards to students in perpetuity.

There’s so much more I know Michael would have accomplished if he had more time with us. But it excites me to imagine a world where a scholarship in his name not only eases financial burdens for students, but also offers a transformative college experience that empowers them to achieve as much as Michael did – and more.

Thank you for anything you can give to help us carry his legacy forward and support future students on the path he walked so proudly.