450 Posse Scholars Graduate from Top Universities

This year, 450 Posse Scholars graduated from Posse partner colleges and universities across the country. These impressive young people—who include fellowship winners, commencement speakers and student government presidents—leave college well prepared to take full advantage of the many opportunities a first-rate education affords.

Posse’s new graduates will be formally welcomed to the ever-growing Posse Alumni Network at summer events in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, D.C., Los Angeles, Miami and New York.

Posse President and Founder Deborah Bial delivered the commencement address at the University of Rochester, which matriculates its third Posse to campus this fall. She asked the 2015 graduates to embrace authenticity to help create a society where we can trust what we see or what we hear.

The following is an excerpt from Deborah Bial’s University of Rochester commencement address:

“As we become experts at selling ourselves, how can we also make sure we preserve the genuine, the real? … I hope you all remember that it is just as important to get good at being the real you. Put that person out there into the world. … You will build your confidence and your confidence will be based on experience, practice, honesty and humility. You will make yourself better and you will become a much more valuable asset to our society and the institutions on which we rely so heavily. … So don’t just be a brand. Be a person. Be credible. We need you—for everything you authentically are, and everything you truly can be.”