BU Scholar Speaks to America's High School Seniors

During this past spring’s graduation season, Posse Scholar Alanis “Laney” Broussard received several national media opportunities to speak on behalf of the high school class of 2020. Laney was featured in USA Today’s “Coronavirus Chronicles” web series, and on television’s “Graduate Together: America Honors The High School Class of 2020.”

Laney graduated from Georgia’s Woodstock High School in May. She is attending Boston University (BU) this fall as a Posse Scholarship recipient, having completed Posse’s Pre-Collegiate Training (PCT) program, which prepares Scholars for college-level academics and to take on leadership roles on campus.

“I felt so honored that my story of being in quarantine as a high school senior resonated so deeply.”

“I felt so honored that my story of being in quarantine as a high school senior resonated so deeply with other students and educators across the nation,” Laney says. “This was especially exciting since working with a large news outlet like USA Today has been a dream of mine. I was able to talk about being unable to speak at graduation because of the ceremony’s cancellation. However, while I could not enjoy some parts of my senior year, I was fortunate to have other opportunities.”

After appearing in USA Today, Laney was approached by a CW Network producer to deliver a portion of her planned graduation speech for the nationally-televised special “Graduate Together: America Honors The High School Class of 2020,” hosted by LeBron James. The first-of-its-kind graduation special aired on May 16.

Throughout high school, Laney maintained a 4.0 GPA while serving in various leadership capacities. She founded the public-speaking organization “Soul to Speak,” which offers a series of workshops that train students to become confident speakers. Laney also produces and hosts a podcast, “Soul to Spark,” which features community leaders.

Laney is excited to begin college at BU this fall, whether that means virtual or on-campus study. She plans to study journalism and communications.