Six APS Seniors Earn $1.5M in Scholarships and Join Their ‘Posses’ on a Free Ride to College

Atlanta Public Schools 2019 Posse Scholars (Seated L-R) Shamayam Sullivan, Grady High School; Keziah Corbett, Grady High School; Samaira Wilson, North Atlanta High School. (Standing L-R) Avery Alford, Grady High School; Deiandre Penny, Therrell High School; and Taylor Jackson, Grady High School.

“I never would’ve dropped out of college if I’d had my posse with me.”

This statement, made by an anonymous student, was the impetus for The Posse Foundation.

For 30 years, the college access program has identified and trained young scholars who might be overlooked by prestigious schools and placed them in supportive, multicultural groups of 10 students — posses. With mentoring and full-tuition leadership scholarships from partner colleges, Posse scholars graduate at a rate of 90 percent.

Students in the Atlanta chapter were honored at an awards ceremony held Jan. 10 at Fox Theatre.

“Scholars here tonight competed against 1,400 of Atlanta’s best and brightest students who were nominated this year. We saw something special in each and every one of them,” said Posse Atlanta Director Zenith Houston during her remarks. “This class of scholars will join a legacy of scholars who are really making a difference in becoming leaders in the workforce.”

This year, 60 students from Atlanta will be awarded nearly $12 million in full‑tuition leadership scholarships from Bard College, Boston University, Brandeis University, The College of Wooster, The George Washington University and Texas A&M University. Six APS scholars earned scholarships worth approximately $1.5 million.

Student	High School	College
Avery Alford	Grady	Georgia Washington University
Deiandre Penny	Therrell	Boston University
Keziah Corbett	Grady	Brandeis University
Samaira Wilson	North Atlanta	Bard College
Shamayam Sullivan	Grady	Boston University
Taylor Jackson	Grady	College of Wooster

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation helped fund the opening of the Atlanta office in 2007. Since then, Posse Atlanta scholars have won $84.1 million in scholarships.

To date, 8,490 Posse scholars have been awarded $1.2 billion in full tuition merit scholarships from Posse’s college and university partners. In addition to Atlanta, the foundation has chapters in the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York City and Washington, D.C. Of the more than 16,000 students nominated by high schools and community-based organizations for the Posse Scholarship this year, 720 will be selected for this prestigious award.