Nine APS Seniors Named 2016 Posse Foundation Scholars

by Kimberly Willis Green

ATLANTA – Nine seniors from Atlanta Public Schools (APS) were awarded four-year, full-tuition leadership and merit scholarships worth approximately $210,000 each by The Posse Foundation’s six partner schools in Atlanta to attend some of the top colleges and universities in the country – including Bard College, Boston University, Brandeis University, The College of Wooster, The George Washington University and Texas A&M University. The Foundation named the scholarship recipients during a formal ceremony December 16, at The Fox Theatre.

Photo Credit: APS

The Posse Foundation, Inc. is a college access and youth leadership development program that identifies, recruits and selects leaders from public high schools. These student leaders are placed in supportive multicultural teams called “Posses” to attend partnering colleges and universities. The 2016 APS Posse Foundation Scholars are:

Lorenzo Maddox        Maynard H. Jackson High School     Brandeis University

Nia Duncan                Booker T. Washington High School   Brandeis University

Alexes Harris             South Atlanta High School       George Washington University

LaDeja Holt                Booker T. Washington High School  Texas A&M University

LaReya Brown           Maynard H. Jackson High School     Boston University

Augustin Jiminez        North Atlanta High School                Boston University

Austin Sumlin             D.M. Therrell High School                 Bard College

Sharah Hutson            Benjamin E. Mays High School        The College of Wooster

Gloria Murray              Carver Early College High School    The College of Wooster

Since 2007, 135 APS students have won $28.4 million in Posse’s full-tuition, leadership and merit scholarships provided to them by the foundation’s partner colleges and universities.

“I continue to be impressed by the hard work and commitment our students have when it comes to their education. The Posse scholarship is a powerful testament that our students are graduating ready for college and career,” said APS Superintendent Meria J. Carstarphen, Ed.D., who also participated in the awards ceremony. “I am very proud of this year’s winners who have the talent, determination and a ‘posse’ comprised of their families, teachers, and friends to ensure success during their matriculation through college and beyond.”

APS students go through a multi-step Posse Scholars nomination process. The students receive coaching on meeting scholarship requirements that include maintaining a certain GPA, completing a rigorous application process and excelling in scholarship interviews.

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About The Posse Foundation

Founded in 1989 in New York City, the Posse Foundation is a nationwide initiative with programs in major cities across the United States. Posse’s main goals are to expand the pool from which top colleges and universities can recruit outstanding young leaders from diverse backgrounds and to ensure that Posse scholars persist in their studies and graduate so they can take on leadership positions in the workforce. Posse scholars receive four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarships from Posse partner colleges and universities. The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation helped fund the opening of the Atlanta office in 2007.

About Atlanta Public Schools

Atlanta Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the state of Georgia, serving approximately 50,000 students across 98 learning sites. The district is organized into nine K-12 clusters with 87 schools, 17 charter schools and two citywide single-gender academies, where students are offered rigorous instructional programs that foster success in school and life. For more information, visit www.atlantapublicschools.us