Alumni Gather in NYC for Posse Leadership Conference

This past July, Posse hosted the 11th National Posse Alumni Leadership Conference at the New York Academy of Medicine. The day included professional development and networking activities as more than 200 alumni attended from across the country.

Posse President and Founder Deborah Bial welcomed keynote speaker Arne Duncan, the former U.S. secretary of education under President Obama, who spoke about the need for strong leadership today.

The program continued with speeches from three Posse alumni as part of the third year of “Koosh Talks.” Anthony Bush (Dickinson College), Marisa Sarto (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Sammy Dane (Babson College) shared their perspectives on succeeding as advocates for equity and creativity.

Posse President and Founder Deborah Bial welcomed keynote speaker Arne Duncan, the former U.S. secretary of education.

Career breakout sessions were led by NBC newscasters Harry Smith and Andrea Joyce, Fidelity Bank, and environmental researchers from The New School. Alumni in attendance were also given the opportunity to network with partners from the Fulbright Program, Duke University Fuqua School of Business, Columbia University Teachers College and Cornell Law School, among other exciting guests.

The day closed with the presentation of the 2019 Ainslie Alumni Achievement Award. This year’s honoree was Vanderbilt University Posse alumnus Carl Manalo.

The son of Filipino immigrants, Carl grew up in the Bronx, New York. He studied education as a Posse Scholar at Vanderbilt University and went on to receive a master’s in education from Fordham University. Carl inherited the head position at Queens High School for Information, Research and Technology (QIRT) in 2014, when the school’s four-year graduation rate was just 55 percent, one of the lowest in the city. Under Carl’s leadership, QIRT’s graduation rate has increased to an outstanding 81 percent, higher than both the borough and city averages.

Carl was introduced at the ceremony by Carlos Beato, a former student of his, now a fellow Posse alumnus. Carlos credits Carl for inspiring his career path; he holds a doctorate in education and is the principal of the International High School at Langley Park.

The program was followed by a reception for all attendees, with a champagne toast to celebrate Posse’s anniversary year.