Robert M. Wilcox, dean of the University of South Carolina School of Law, right, presents the Susan McCrary Volunteer of the Year Award to rising third-year law student Kayla M. Porter, left.

COLUMBIA — Kayla M. Porter, a rising third-year law student and native of Easley, was awarded the Susan McCrary Volunteer of the Year Award and the Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award from the University of South Carolina School of Law.

The Susan McCrary Volunteer of the Year Award is selected by the members of Women in Law for dedicated service to the organization and its activities. Porter was recognized for her hard work and organization of the successful “Women Helping Women Products Drive,” which collected and donated products to help homeless women in the midlands area of South Carolina.

The law school is also known for its extremely strong pro bono program and each year service awards are presented to students who demonstrate their commitment to public service through pro bono activities. Porter was among 10 students honored.

“As attorneys, our primary calling is to help others. Winning the Susan McCary Volunteer of the Year Award and the Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award simply validates that I am living up to that calling, while also gaining the practical knowledge that will prove invaluable as I enter a firm or judicial clerkship after graduating next year,” Porter said.

The presentations were made in April during the School of Law’s annual Awards Day Ceremony, which honors students and faculty members for their outstanding achievements during the academic year.