HFC wrestler and honors student Justin Labon will transfer to U-M this fall
After graduating as the valedictorian from Eisenhower High School in Shelby Township, Justin Labon believed his wrestling days were over.
He was planning to attend a university that didn’t even have a wrestling team.
Then Labon – who participated in football and wrestling in high school and served as captain of the wrestling team his senior year – got a call from Coach Grant MacKenzie, who coaches the HFC Wrestling Team of Henry Ford College.
“Out of high school, I assumed I was done wrestling. Coach MacKenzie called me and invited me to HFC for a visit. That’s what swayed me: The opportunity to wrestle again,” said Labon, of Shelby Township, the third of four children.
Labon finished his second year on the wrestling team this season. He competed in more than 60 matches in the 165-lb. weight class. This May, he earned his associate degree in liberal arts from HFC with a GPA of 3.95.
In the fall, Labon will transfer to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he will complete his bachelor’s degree in economics.
Quiet and confident
Not only was Labon on the HFC wrestling team, he was also a member of the Henry Ford II Honors Program. English instructor Angela Hathikhanavala served as his Honors Program mentor.
“Justin joined the HFC Honors Program as a conscientious, academically-driven student-athlete. Over the past two years, I've seen him grow in curiosity and independence as he has made connections with his classmates, teammates, and instructors. His work has generated a lot of great options to continue his education and his personal growth,” said Hathikhanavala.
Labon attended HFC on an athletic scholarship and several academic scholarships. He is a two-time winner of the Hawks Academic Award and has been named to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All Academic 2nd Team twice.
“Being able to wrestle for another two years has been a gift,” said Labon. “Coming to HFC improved my academic résumé as well. It allowed me to get into U-M, which I don’t think I could’ve done had I not attended HFC. Being in the Honors Program was a great experience. I made a lot of friends through wrestling and the Honors Program. Both are close-knit communities. The friendships I made have been the best thing about my time here by far.”
“We will miss Justin’s work ethic and the way he exemplified being ‘quiet and confident’ on the mat and in the classroom,” said MacKenzie.
Raising the bar
Initially, Labon was unsure what he would study at HFC. He knew he wanted to go into business, so he chose economics after taking a class with HFC economics instructor Christopher Rakovalis.
“Economics is a social science, but there’s significant overlap into business,” said Labon.
Rakovalis first met Labon in his Principles of Microeconomics class.
“Justin was an extremely bright person who was very engaged in the course,” said Rakovalias. “He helped me raise the bar on classroom discussions with his questions and well-thought-out applications of the material. That is how I teach my economics courses: I seek to bring to life the models and concepts by relaying them to students in real-life examples and applications. Justin was a key part of that class, helping to increase the discussions and interest among other students.”
Labon managed the balance being a student and an athlete, and would do it all over again.
“All in all, it was a great experience,” he said. “I completely enjoyed my two years here. I was grateful to continue my wrestling career. And if I could go back, I would make the same decision again to be a Hawk.”