Puget Sound Alumni Lead in Education, Service

With the recent selection of a new cohort of Posse Scholars, the Bay Area program of The Posse Foundation marks 10 years of partnership with University of Puget Sound. Over the past decade, five Posse cohorts have graduated from the Tacoma, Washington, campus, contributing to a growing network of alumni working in education, community service and leadership roles across the country.

Mauricio Mendez was part of the first Posse cohort sent from the Bay Area to the University of Puget Sound. He graduated with a double major in politics and government and Spanish and a minor in Latino studies. As an undergraduate, Mendez interned in Tacoma public schools and volunteered with programs connected to Latinos Unidos, experiences that deepened his focus on educational equity.

During college, Mauricio was a recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, while federal immigration policy debates intensified during the administration of Donald Trump. He said the uncertainty facing immigrant communities strengthened his commitment to public service.

“Rather than discouraging me, those challenges pushed me to work even harder for my community and for young people who deserve opportunity,” Mauricio said.

On campus, Mauricio served as president of Latinos Unidos, worked as a resident assistant in Residential Life and played on the university’s rugby team. After graduating, he joined the SMART Program in San Francisco, a literacy and mentorship initiative supporting students from low-income communities. He later helped connect the program with Posse, expanding access to mentorship and educational resources for Scholars.

Mauricio went on to join Teach For America, where he served in a region experiencing a teacher shortage. Through the program, he earned a master’s degree from University of Nevada, Las Vegas while teaching in local schools. Today, he teaches fourth grade at Arturo Cambeiro Elementary School in Las Vegas, where he focuses on supporting students through culturally responsive teaching and mentorship.

“My experiences at Puget Sound and through Posse taught me that leadership is about showing up for others,” Mauricio said. “Everything I do in the classroom is rooted in that commitment.”

Simone Moore, another member of the first Posse cohort at the University of Puget Sound, majored in psychology with a minor in neuroscience. Her academic interests focused on how aging affects the brain, particularly Alzheimer’s disease and its disproportionate impact on communities of color.

While on campus, Simone participated in Ethics Bowl, a program centered on ethical reasoning and debate. She said the experience strengthened her ability to analyze complex issues and engage in dialogue across perspectives.

“Ethics Bowl challenged me to think carefully about the responsibilities we have to one another,” Simone said. “It encouraged me to approach difficult questions with empathy and curiosity.”

After graduating, Simone joined AmeriCorps and served with Reading Partners, providing tutoring in literacy, science and music to elementary school students. What began as a year of service developed into a long-term commitment. Since 2021, Simone has advanced within the organization and now serves as senior manager of operations.

In her role, she supports literacy programs across the Bay Area and works closely with initiatives serving multilingual learners — students who bring multiple language skills but may encounter barriers in English literacy or standardized assessments.

Simone said her time at the University of Puget Sound and through Posse shaped how she approaches leadership and community responsibility.

“Posse taught me to think beyond individual success and to consider the impact I can have on others,” Simone said. “I often ask myself how I can show up for my community and contribute in ways that matter.”

Posse alumni such as Mendez and Moore represent the long-term impact of the program’s model of cohort-based leadership development. Their work in classrooms, community organizations and literacy initiatives reflects the broader mission of Posse: preparing students from diverse backgrounds to become leaders who expand access, opportunity and support in their communities.