Dear Friends,
Margaret Mead’s familiar quote couldn’t more aptly apply to the Posse program: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
After 22 years, Posse is seeing this idea manifest itself in a powerful way. The individuals in each Posse are thoughtful and committed. They work together to support one another. They show up at each other’s theatre performances, help one another with their physics homework and lean on each other in times of need. But the effect of each Posse on its campus illustrates the impact a group can have on a community at large. Combine each class of Posse Scholars on a campus and the result is four small groups of thoughtful and committed citizens—at least 40 and at a few schools up to120 students strong, able to build, rally, influence and contribute to the larger college community.
Our Scholars are presidents and founders of countless student organizations on campus. They are Fulbright winners, Marshall Scholars and Mellon Mays Fellows to name a few. They are beacons of hope for their families, distinctive voices in academic discourse, and always pillars of support for their Posse peers. More than 70 percent are assuming leadership positions on campus, and they continue to persist and graduate from college at a rate of 90 percent.
The Posse Foundation has experienced electric growth over the past decade. Posse opened in Boston in 1999; Chicago in 2000; Los Angeles in 2002; Washington, D.C. in 2004; Atlanta in 2007; Miami in 2009 and New Orleans in 2011. These are cities that wanted and needed this unique program—cities with thousands of wonderful young people just aching for the opportunity. Posse has grown to a program with 39 amazing partner colleges and universities that offer our students extraordinary scholarships every year.
We are lucky to have thousands of dedicated supporters who believe in these students and give generously of their time, money, and talent. Posse’s corporate partnerships have also grown, dramatically increasing the number of internships and other career-enhancing opportunities available to our students. Posse Scholars’ success is as much the result of their hard work as it is the result of the individuals, families and institutions who have mentored, sacrificed and offered life-changing opportunities. Behind every Scholar stands this larger Posse of dedicated supporters, to whom we are deeply indebted.
Posse Scholars are taking Mead’s idea to an exciting place. So far, more than 3,650 young people have become Posse Scholars—that’s 365 Posses. Together they represent a national network of talent and ambition. Today, Posse Alumni are leading as doctors, lawyers, scientists, social workers, businessmen, artists and teachers. They will become the critical thinkers needed to solve our society’s most entrenched problems and the creative innovators capable of taking us to new, unimagined heights.
And while they pursue their myriad interests and dreams, each Posse Scholar can count on the support of the entire network. When you consider this growing web of dynamic leadership, it’s easy to see why Posse is more than just a college access program—it’s a movement.
We believe the world is in good hands.
Warmly,
Deborah Bial, President + Founder and Jeff Ubben, Chair