Chief Enrollment Officer Champions Diversity, Inclusion at Bryn Mawr
As chief enrollment officer at Bryn Mawr College, Cheryl Lynn Horsey works to foster a campus community that is as diverse and inclusive as it is highly selective. She credits her family with instilling in her a passion for both education and equity early on.
“I’m a first-generation low-income college graduate who was raised by a single mom and my grandmother,” says Cheryl. “They both embraced education as a ticket to upward mobility. I also grew up in Northeast Philadelphia in a neighborhood where we were one of only three Black families—and all that implies.”
Cheryl earned her bachelor’s degree at C.W. Post College of Long Island University, a master of public administration at Penn State University, and a Ph.D. from Bryn Mawr’s Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. She has worked in leadership roles at a variety of institutions, including Rutgers University, Rosemont College and Gwynedd Mercy University.
“Posse Scholars are bright and talented, and their overall retention rate is greater than that of the general student body.”
Cheryl joined Bryn Mawr, her alma mater, as chief enrollment officer in 2017. Since taking the position, she has come to view Posse as a program in keeping with the College’s tradition of excellence.
“Posse Scholars enhance our campus community,” she says. “They are bright and talented, and their overall retention rate is greater than that of the general student body.”
Vanessa Christman, the assistant dean for access and community development, serves as the program’s liaison at Bryn Mawr, which first became a Posse partner in 2000. Today, the renowned women’s college recruits approximately 20 Posse students each year—10 from Boston and 10 from Houston. Since joining the program, the College has welcomed more than 264 Scholars to campus.
“Bryn Mawr has provided a transformative educational experience for so many Posse Scholars over the years,” says Posse President and Founder Deborah Bial. “We are grateful to President Cassidy and her team of incredible administrators—leaders like Cheryl Lynn Horsey and Vanessa Christman—whose investments help to ensure Posse Scholars’ success.”
