APPLETON, WIS. — Lawrence University’s traditionally talented and diverse student body will grow even more so this September when the college welcomes its first “posse” to campus.
Ten “Posse Scholars” recently were selected for admission from an applicant pool of more than 2,000 students developed by the Posse Foundation. The scholars — three men and seven women, all from New York City — were chosen following an in-person visit by a six-member committee of Lawrence faculty and staff. Plans call to enroll 10 additional scholars each of the next three years for a total of 40 Posse students by the fall of 2010.
Founded in 1989, the New York-based Posse Foundation identifies, assesses and develops students who have demonstrated the strongest leadership skills in small group activities and those who are able to offer creative solutions to a variety of problems. Students selected as scholars form multicultural cohorts of 10 called “posses.” These 10-member cohorts are then prepared, through an intensive eight-month pre-collegiate training program, for enrollment at top-tier universities nationwide to pursue their academics and to contribute to the enrichment of campus cultural perspectives.
Each posse acts as a traveling support system to ensure that each individual Posse Scholar succeeds and graduates. Posse Scholars receive four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarships from their posse-partner college or university.
Lawrence formed a partnership with the Posse Foundation in 2006, joining an elite group of 26 colleges and universities around the country associated with the program. Lawrence is the first private institution in Wisconsin to partner with the Posse Foundation. UW-Madison is also affiliated with it. Other notable partner institutions include Carleton, Dickinson, Grinnell, Hamilton, Middlebury and Pomona colleges.
“Although we enroll students from virtually every state, we typically have not had many from New York, where our first posse will come from, so in addition to adding to the ethnic and cultural diversity on campus, this program also will increase our geographical diversity,” said Steve Syverson, dean of admission and financial aid at Lawrence.
Michael Kim, associate professor of music, was a member of the delegation that traveled to New York to meet with potential members of Lawrence’s first posse. He called the experience “enlightening.”
“I was immediately struck by the enormous dedication and commitment of the Posse staff to help these students succeed and realize their dreams of attending college,” said Kim. “I was moved by the adversity and circumstances they had overcome in their lives. Their personal stories varied from having spent most of their life in different homeless shelters, to having family members overdose on heroin to working nights as a waitress to help pay their family’s rent.
“They are all very driven, determined and hungry to succeed in their chosen academic environments,” Kim added. “These students truly appreciated the opportunities that Posse and Lawrence offered them.”
Once on campus, the posse students are expected not only to provide support for each other, but also engage the campus community and assume leadership roles individually in the classroom and in campus groups and organizations.
One aspect of the program Syverson finds particularly attractive is the Posse Plus Retreat, in which Posse Scholars plan a weekend retreat around a particular theme — often focused on campus diversity issues — that involves about 80 other members of the campus community. Lawrence will hold its retreat at Bjorklunden in Door County.
“Through the retreat process, the impact of the Posse students becomes far greater than simply having a multiethnic group of 10 students from New York City on campus,” said Syverson.
“Our first Posse will bring a significant added dimension of racial and socioeconomic diversity to Lawrence,” Kim added. “These are charismatic student leaders who will help facilitate increased interaction and exchange of ideas between the student and administrative bodies, especially with regard to complex social issues relevant to a multicultural society. And they will serve as a catalyst for increased individual and community engagement through the formation of student organizations and volunteer work.”
In addition to New York City, the Posse Foundation maintains student programs in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. Since its inception, the Posse Foundation has placed more than 1,500 students who have been awarded more than $142 million in scholarships from partner universities. Posse Scholars have a four-year graduation rate of 90 percent, which ranks well above the national average of 35% for all institutions and 50% for private colleges and universities.
Beyond participation in the Posse program, Lawrence will undertake a research study on the program’s impact on the campus culture broadly.
