Posse Los Angeles Celebrates New Scholars at Awards Ceremony

Posse Los Angeles kicked off the new year with the return of its in-person Posse Awards Ceremony, a powerful gathering that honors the city’s newest cohort of Scholars. Originally scheduled for earlier in January, the event was postponed due to the devastating fires in the region. The delay, though unexpected, created space for an even more meaningful celebration of community and resilience.

On Jan. 22, more than 300 guests gathered at Regal L.A. Live Cinemas to recognize 91 newly selected Posse Scholars. These outstanding students were awarded more than $22.7 million in full-tuition scholarships to Posse Los Angeles’s nine partner colleges and universities: Bucknell University, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Kalamazoo College, Middlebury College, Northwestern University, Pepperdine University, Tulane University, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and Santa Clara University.

This year’s Scholars were selected from a pool of 2,138 applicants and represent more than 235 high schools and community-based organizations across the Los Angeles area.

During the ceremony, Nikki Kealalio, regional vice president of Posse Los Angeles, reflected on the far-reaching impact of the program’s students.

“The ripple effect of Posse Scholars on campuses is immeasurable, often occurring in times, places and spaces where they don’t even realize they’re making a difference,” Nikki said. “My hope is that every Posse Scholar makes their campus a more welcoming space in any small way they can—whether that’s creating a club for others, saying hi to the quiet person in the corner, or thanking a professor. At the end of the day, Posse Scholars leave places better than they found them. And because of that, every university partner is lucky to have a Posse on their campus.”

Posse Los Angeles extends its gratitude to the sponsors of the 2025 Awards Ceremony: Peter R. O’Keeffe, Shawmut Design and Construction, Deloitte, EY, and WTW.