April 2010, Volume 14, Number 2

Academics

Three MDC students receive $40K scholarships from Posse foundation

There’s strength in numbers — that’s the basic principal behind the Posse Foundation, which awarded three Miami Dade College students in its School for Advanced Studies (SAS) with four-year, $40,000-a-year scholarships to the University of Pennsylvania. Founded in 1989, the Posse Foundation’s goal is to help students from diverse backgrounds form a posse, or a support group, that will enhance their college experience. SAS is a full time dual-enrollment high school, a combined effort of Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) and MDC. Students attending SAS complete their last two years of high school while attending MDC. 

This was the first year in which the Posse Foundation came to Miami schools, with the University of Pennsylvania as their lead partner. The foundation also has sites in several major U.S. cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C. Seniors nominated for the recruitment process had to submit an extensive application and undergo several group and personal interviews, in addition to showing a strong academic record paired with school and community involvement. The three SAS seniors awarded with the scholarship are: Joseph Vick, Homestead Campus; Catalina Arango, Kendall Campus; and Daniel Mesa, Wolfson Campus.

Though the students won’t start school until the fall, their involvement with the Posse Foundation is already in full swing. Students attend weekly meetings with members of the foundation in order to build their support group, and also undergo pre-collegiate training.

Donna Bray, SAS counselor, felt that the goals of the Posse Foundation aligned well with the SAS program. "It makes [the students] so ready to go to college. The fact that they come from SAS, which is a program that’s small and intimate, where they already have a support group, and are going into the posse…it’s ideal because they’ll continue to have that support. So not only will they be strong academically, but they’re prepared for the transition they’ll be going through," she said.

— NM


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