The Posse Scholarship is a leadership-based scholarship that finds students from all around the country that showcase the Posse Foundation’s core values of academic excellence, team building, cross cultural communication and leadership. The scholarship is an opportunity for students to attend some of the best colleges in the country with a full ride.
Tony Minestra, Director of College Counseling and Testing Coordinator, has worked at DePaul Prep for five years. Since 2020, the college counseling department has hosted an informational session for juniors to discuss the benefits and limitations that come with the scholarship. Posse has numerous cities they partner with, such as New Orleans and Chicago. The Chicago office has partnerships with ten small colleges throughout other departments in the states.
The department nominates twelve students who show interest and hold high achievements as well as leadership potential. Having great collaboration skills, leadership ability and a real desire to go to a smaller school really helps students stand out.
Carter Chambers, a senior at DePaul Prep, is the president of student government and an IB full diploma candidate. Chambers heard about this scholarship through DePaul Prep, as he was nominated by his counselor. He felt that the biggest determining factor for receiving the Posse Scholarship is the leadership he demonstrated throughout numerous application rounds. These application rounds helped those in charge of the Posse Scholarship determine which students across the country would be best qualified.
Because Chambers showed leadership and overall qualification, he was accepted into the Posse Program and plans to attend Oberlin College in Ohio. Chambers feels “This scholarship is special because Posse is intentionally trying to help young adults become the leaders of tomorrow, which means they are solely invested in your success throughout college and beyond” he said. Through Posse’s network of internship programs Chambers feels he will have many opportunities and aid in achieving successful career goals.
Senior Eddie Iglesias is involved in DePaul Prep’s student leadership and life. He wrestles, plays volleyball, is a peer leader, Kairos leader, a part of Latinos UNIDOs, a certified nursing assistant and a student ambassador. Being so involved in such a variety of activities as well as “having an open personality and attitude towards others” helped Iglesias be considered for and earn the Posse Scholarship.
Iglesias heard about the scholarship in his junior year when it was mentioned in the announcements. After applying and going through the multi-step application processes, Iglesias was accepted and committed to DePauw University, where he will be attending with the aid of the Posse Scholarship
To Iglesias, “this scholarship is special because Posse goes through an incredibly long process to find their ideal scholars. They try to select recipients based on the kind of person they are rather than their GPA or financial status.”
Along with Chambers and Iglesias two other seniors received the scholarship: Christian Goodall and Manuel French. Goodall is attending Connecticut College and French is attending Oberlin.
The Posse Scholarship gave these students access to even greater opportunities to allow them to continue to excel in their studies and future careers.
Through the Posse Scholarship, students get to have a great opportunity to learn more about themselves, their peers as well as the leadership and determination needed in their future careers.
