�鶹��Ƶ Expands Partnership with Posse Foundation</h1> <article> <h1>�鶹��Ƶ Expands Partnership with Posse Foundation</h1> <p>eburnett — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 21:25:24 +0000</p> <span>�鶹��Ƶ Expands Partnership with Posse Foundation</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2023-11-14T16:25:24-05:00" title="Tuesday, November 14, 2023 - 16:25">Tue, 11/14/2023 - 16:25</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>�鶹��Ƶ is expanding its 17-year partnership with <a href="https://www.possefoundation.org/">The Posse Foundation</a>, a national nonprofit that teams up with selective U.S. colleges and universities to provide scholarships and leadership training for outstanding students from more than 20 cities across America.</p> <p>Since 2006, �鶹��Ƶ has welcomed more than 170 Posse Scholars from Chicago. In fall 2025, the first Posse Scholars from Houston will begin studies alongside the 19th Chicago cohort.</p> <p>All Posse Scholars receive four-year, full-tuition scholarships from �鶹��Ƶ. A $500,000 five-year grant from The Posse Foundation supports additional costs associated with each Posse Scholar’s schooling.</p> <p>“We are proud to grow our long-standing relationship with Posse Scholars because the model really works,” says �鶹��Ƶ President Carmen Twillie Ambar. “The Posse Foundation got its start more than three decades ago, inspired by a student who said, ‘I never would have dropped out of college if I’d had my posse with me.’ That simple but powerful message has led to countless success stories at �鶹��Ƶ and other institutions that deeply value equal access to education.”</p> <p>Since 1989, Posse has identified public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who might be overlooked by traditional college selection processes, which often leave behind first-generation students and those from financially insecure families. Posse Scholars attend college as members of multicultural teams of 10 students, or <em>posses</em>. The Posse Foundation prepares these students through an eight-month pre-collegiate training program, supports them through all four years of college, and helps them secure competitive internships and leadership-track careers. Dedicated mentors from �鶹��Ƶ’s faculty and staff guide Posse Scholars throughout their time on campus, beginning with a <a href="/news/oberlins-15th-posse">graduation visualization ceremony</a>.</p> <p>To date, more than 12,000 students have earned more than $2 billion in scholarships from Posse partner colleges and universities. Nationwide, Posse Scholars graduate at a rate of 90 percent—far above the national average. </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">New pact improves access to education for students from Houston as well as Chicago.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2023-11-14T12:00:00Z">Tue, 11/14/2023 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3712">Posse Scholars</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/carmen-twillie-ambar" hreflang="und">Carmen Twillie Ambar</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/manuel-carballo" hreflang="und">Manuel Carballo</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Since 2006, �鶹��Ƶ has welcomed more than 170 students to campus as Posse Scholars.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Scott Shaw</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-32116" class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-el-bq paragraph--view-mode--default"> <blockquote class="blockquote--slicer" data-text-color-red data-text-size-giant> <p>�鶹��Ƶ Posse Scholars have earned a long list of accolades, among them Fulbright Scholarships and Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowships. </p> </blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-27891" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p>Manuel Carballo, �鶹��Ƶ’s vice president and dean of admissions and financial aid, notes that Posse Scholars often emerge as campus leaders among their peers. “Our last two Student Senate presidents have been Posse Scholars,” he says. “They bring energy and idealism to the community. It’s a real honor to get to know and support such talented students and watch them grow from selection to graduation.”</p> <p><a href="/node/492818">�鶹��Ƶ Posse Scholars</a> have earned a long list of accolades, among them Fulbright Scholarships—the U.S. government’s flagship program of international educational and cultural exchange—and Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowships, paid research fellowships for PhD-track students to increase faculty diversity in higher education. </p> <p>Aliyah Turner, a 2017 �鶹��Ƶ grad and Mellon Mays Fellow, is a professor on the tenure track at DePauw University. She will defend her PhD in sociology this spring at the University of Washington. Turner credits her �鶹��Ƶ-Posse experience with putting her on a path to success she otherwise would not have been able to follow—a path she now helps others navigate.</p> <p>“The socio-emotional and financial support offered through Posse helped to provide me access to an enriching educational experience—one that I still cherish and consider hugely developmental to who I am as a scholar, thinker, activist, educator, and, now, a parent and wife,” says Turner. “The staff at Posse believed in me when I questioned myself, and that encouragement is what I offer to the amazing, brilliant, committed, and engaged Posse Scholars [at DePauw] I currently mentor and support!”</p> <p>Recent �鶹��Ƶ Posse Scholars have gone on to careers in the following fields, among others:</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">• Program lead for a $500 million federal workforce development initiative<br> • Neurosurgery resident at University Hospitals in Cleveland<br> • PhD candidate studying race inequities in education at Stanford University<br> • District director for an Illinois state senator</p> <p>“We are absolutely thrilled to expand our partnership with �鶹��Ƶ,” says Posse Foundation President and Founder Deborah Bial. “We are grateful to President Ambar and Dean Carballo for their vision and leadership. Their care and support make the �鶹��Ƶ campus a very special place.” </p> <p>Learn more at <a href="https://www.possefoundation.org/">PosseFoundation.org</a>.</p> </div> </div> </div> </article> <article> <h1>Francisco Garcia ’22 on Internships and Immigration Policy</h1> <p>swargo — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 14:48:15 +0000</p> <span>Francisco Garcia ’22 on Internships and Immigration Policy</span> <span><span>swargo</span></span> <span><time datetime="2021-04-22T10:48:15-04:00" title="Thursday, April 22, 2021 - 10:48">Thu, 04/22/2021 - 10:48</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Working in immigration policy takes hard work and dedication, but Francisco Garcia ’22 already has a seat at the table. A politics and Hispanic studies double major, Garcia’s interests and studies at �鶹��Ƶ as a Posse Scholar landed him an internship in the office of Congressman Jesús G. “Chuy” García in Washington, D.C. last January. His work there, as well as at other organizations dedicated to reforming U.S. immigration policy, has inspired Garcia to pursue a career in immigration law.</p> <p>Garcia was born and raised in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, a predominantly Latinx community home to many Mexican immigrants. The son of Mexican immigrants, Garcia grew up around the idea of immigration but did not fully grasp the concept until high school, becoming more aware of the issues facing both the United States and his neighbors in Pilsen.</p> <p>“I started realizing that people need help. I have the privilege of being a citizen and coming from a background that understands the problems of immigration. That was where my interest sparked,” Garcia said, citing family and community as the contributing factors to his growing passion for immigrant rights.</p> <p>Garcia entered �鶹��Ƶ as one of 10 Posse Scholars under the faculty mentorship of Professor Travis Wilson and knew immediately that he would major in politics and Hispanic studies, a balanced course load of history, culture, and policy to prepare him for a career centered around immigration.</p> <p>The Posse Foundation, which matches students with mentors based on their interests, paired Garcia with Kalman Resnick ’70, a Chicago-based immigration attorney with connections to Congressman García. In the summer of 2019, Garcia interned for the Congressman’s campaign, helping to fundraise more than $100,000. Soon after, he was offered an internship in García’s office for winter term 2020.</p> <p>During the month of January, Garcia sat in on committee meetings and hearings, taking notes for the Congressman’s “right-hand person,” reporting back to the office, and helping to write official memos. Garcia recalled attending a census hearing, which he describes as “one of the most memorable experiences.” The hearing aimed to find ways for more immigrants to fill out the 2020 census despite fear sparked by a question regarding citizenship status proposed by former President Trump.</p> <p>According to Garcia, the internship was a life-changing experience. “I knew going into this internship that it was going to be very white,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting to be that present, so being in Chuy’s office was definitely motivating and reaffirmed for me that people from my background can make it.”</p> <p>This internship fell into place neatly with Garcia’s ongoing work at the National Immigrant Justice Center in Chicago, where he interned in the summer of 2018 with plans to return this coming summer. There, he worked alongside the center’s director, attending confidential hearings and taking notes on the city’s changing policies.</p> <p>Such an important “seat at the table” initially seemed daunting, but Garcia quickly found his footing. “At first, I wasn’t sure if I really belonged or what to do exactly, but eventually, I left it all there on the table and did my best work.”</p> <p>For Professor Wilson, Garcia’s work ethic caught his attention in Posse early on. “Francisco has always impressed me for having a no-nonsense approach to academics and community work while also being able to keep things light and fun. People trust him. What you see is exactly what you get, and that is genuine leadership in every important sense of the word.”</p> <p>Garcia exercises his leadership at �鶹��Ƶ, where he is part of the El Centro Volunteer Initiative. The initiative connects students to the Lorain County-based organization, which provides various social services to immigrant communities in the area. Garcia teaches English and citizenship classes, serves as a board member of the grant writing team, and teaches the �鶹��Ƶ El Centro ExCo. At home, Garcia works for the Gage Park Latinx Council, teaching classes and supporting food pantry efforts for immigrant communities in Chicago.</p> <p>Currently, Garcia has his sights set on law school and spends his time researching different programs and prepping for the LSAT. He hopes to become an immigration lawyer or an immigration policy analyst.</p> <p>Garcia thrives on community and civic engagement, two reasons why he chose to attend �鶹��Ƶ, where he also runs for the cross country and track teams.</p> <p>“Everyone here is on the same page, putting a great emphasis on civil work,” Garcia said. “There are so many clubs and programs at �鶹��Ƶ that focus on different issues and do fantastic things. Being surrounded by a lot of passionate people is very encouraging.”</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2021-04-22T12:00:00Z">Thu, 04/22/2021 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Kyra McConnell ’22</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3712">Posse Scholars</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/politics" hreflang="und">Politics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/history" hreflang="und">History</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy Francisco Garcia</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> </article> </main></body></html>