Jones Impacting Community while Preserving History
2/15/2021 12:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball, Les Johns
“That’s one of the most important things I learned at Wake — Pro Humanitate. It goes in full circle and I’m just thankful to be in a position to help.” - Porsche Jones
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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Raised and inspired by her grandparents, Wake Forest women's basketball alum Porsche Jones is set to memorialize their names while giving back to the community in which she grew up.
On March 14, the two basketball courts at the BOND (Building on New Development) Center of Excellence will be christened "The Scales Courts of Excellence" after her grandparents Robert A. Scales and Dr. Manderline Scales.
"I was raised by my grandparents," Jones said. "I had the best of both worlds. I watched my grandparents just give their life to service and helping others. They were educators and just always involved. One thing I was taught early was to have a positive impact."
Dr. Manderline Scales served three decades at Winston-Salem State, becoming Assistant Vice Chancellor.
"They are easily two of the most important people in my life," Jones said of her grandparents. "They sacrificed completely to give me everything I needed. My best gift to them is to ensure that their legacy continues. Even though they are no longer on this earth, people will still know their name and how important they are to me.
"By naming that court, I want those kids to know my grandparents embodied excellence. When they come into that gym, I want them to know how to operate in the highest form of excellence, because that's what I saw my grandmother and papa do every day."
The BOND Center of Excellence is a 20,000 square foot facility where Jones is working together with Wake Forest basketball alum Josh Howard and Shekinah Glory Christian Church. A gymnasium, classrooms, fitness center, weight room and the Scales Courts of Excellence will be housed in that facility.
"Josh and I have been talking about how we can create a positive influence in our local area," Jones said. "What we want to build is more of a community center. We want to build an actual home."
Jones started BOND 13 years ago, a project where she coached AAU girls basketball, assisting several in growing both on and off the court.
"We've been able to send 30-plus students to college on scholarships," she said. "Having this center helps these boys have a solid home and place they can be safe to keep learning and keep growing. We're teaching them about leadership, education and empowerment. We want them to get ready for life after high school."
Wake Forest associate athletic director Dwight Lewis created a strong bond with Jones during her time wearing the Old Gold & Black.
"There was something about Porsche when she was at Wake Forest," he said. "You just knew there was something big happening inside her, but you just didn't know what it would be. You knew it was going to be big, so this is not a surprise."
While sidelined with a knee injury during her junior season, Jones leaned on Lewis' guidance while focusing on her work in the classroom.
"I went through a knee injury as well, and it ended my career," Lewis said. "I try to work with students when they get hurt, because they need to know it's not the end. Talking to her, of course she was frustrated, broken and disappointed. Sometimes you just need to hear somebody say 'you're okay. It's going to be alright.'
"I'm glad that she found my voice calming and inspiring, because I wanted her to know that tough people can handle tough moments. She is a tough woman. She has the confidence of 50 women, so I'm so excited for her. I'm looking forward to her doing some powerful things with this."
Then Wake Forest coach Charlene Curtis recruited Jones out of Carver High School, where she won two state championships and was inducted in their Hall of Fame.
"I'm a 5-foot-2 kid from Winston-Salem who got an opportunity to play Division I in the ACC and owe that to Charlene Curtis, the coach who brought me to Wake Forest," Jones said. "Without her, I wouldn't have got that opportunity. She completely changed my life."
Howard and Jones, first cousins, have long spoken about trying to make an impact in the community, and together started their efforts many years ago by donating to Gateway YWCA.
"We've always talked on how we could always do more, and build a legacy," Jones said. "One of the things that's important for Josh and I is to leave something that can benefit the next generation. We obviously wanted to build something, but this opportunity came with an existing building. We just wanted to bring a positive light to the area we were raised."
Because of COVID restrictions, not everything Jones has in mind for the facility is up and going already.
"We offer fitness training, but want to work with the holistic student-athlete," she said. "We want it to be a one-stop shop. We hope that by summer this year we will have more things up and going.
"Everything we're pushing is around the word excellence. We're trying to push a culture and a concept to really help these kids the importance of operating in excellence."
Giving back strikes directly to the values that Jones learned during her years at Wake Forest University.
"It is something that is truly a gift from God and I'm thankful for the opportunity to be in a position to give back just the way people gave to my life," she said. "That's one of the most important things I learned at Wake — Pro Humanitate. It goes in full circle and I'm just thankful to be in a position to help."
