The 61 new Scholars at Posse Atlanta’s 2013 Awards Ceremony.
The 61 new Scholars at Posse Atlanta’s 2013 Awards Ceremony.

Awards Ceremony Honors 61 New Scholars from Atlanta

Spring 2013 | Atlanta

Posse Atlanta welcomed 61 new Scholars at the Awards Ceremony in December hosted by The Coca-Cola Company and sponsored by Infor Global Solutions. This distinguished group of young leaders was awarded more than $7 million in four-year, full-tuition merit scholarships from Posse Atlanta’s partner institutions.

Boston University and The College of Wooster each selected their sixth Posses, Bard College its fifth, Brandeis University its third, Syracuse University its second, and Texas A&M University its first.

Over 400 guests—including Posse President and Founder Deborah Bial, Posse Atlanta Advisory Board Chair Philip M. Pead, representatives from Posse’s partner institutions and the Scholars’ friends and families—celebrated the accomplishments of the new Scholars, who were selected from an impressive pool of over 950 nominated students from Atlanta Public Schools and many community-based organizations.

 “With the addition of Texas A&M University, Posse Atlanta now has six partner colleges, which brings us to capacity in just six short years!” said Philip Pead. “This is an exciting time for Posse Atlanta, and our newest class of Scholars is a true testament to our success.”

The Awards Ceremony marks the beginning of Scholars’ lifelong relationship with The Posse Foundation, their new campus communities, and the powerful Posse and college networks around the world that await them. Faculty members and administrators from each partner institution introduced their respective Posses, recognizing the Scholars’ accomplishments and potential to lead on campus and within the community.

The most poignant moments of the evening came during the “open-mic” portion of the program, where Scholars and their families talked about the impact of the program on their lives. 

“As a parent, I feel blessed and grateful,” said Joanne Young-Powers, mother of Diana Powers, a member of Wooster's newest Posse. “I am extremely proud of my child’s pursuit of this opportunity. Thank you to Posse for giving my child the opportunity to excel.”

Bard College
Skylar Sims
Sarah Jones
Jordan Randles
Chance Wren
Lisa Burke
Autumn Rivers
JaQuan Beachem
Leah Bracey
Winta Mehari
Jasmine  Thomas

Brandeis University
Vanessa Alamo
Alleah Salone
Omar Scruggs
Shaipitsiri Thaviny
Mike Wagura
Justin Cates
Margot Farnet
Elias Flores
Adriana Gleaton
Kourtney Mosley

Boston University
Jordan Carter
Rahel Tebo
Joshua Hinnant
Daniel Wiley
Socheata Huy
Haritha Pavuluri
Joshua Mosby
Drew Schwartz
Jonea Weekley
Jameson Hollis

The College of Wooster
Kito Ashbey
Chadwick Smith
Brenda Khor
Ariel Miller
Diana Powers
Samara Abdulla
Andrew Lee Conaway
Uri Smiley
Jasmine Carruth
Emerald Rutledge

Syracuse University
Divine Butts
Edgar Carranza
Chaz Delgado
Dulce Gallo-Blanco
Demarquez Grissom
Henry Hokura
Julian Nelums
Collin Robinson
Bilal Vaughn
Freedom Wright

Texas A&M University
Christopher Mahaffey, Jr.
Demetrius Moore
Breanna McKnight
Laura Nguyen
Jasmine Green
Jalen Starks
Elijah Cantrell
Chauncey LaBoo
Jamie Morgan
Joshua Lewis
Stephanie Weiss