Newest Class of Posse Boston Scholars Celebrated at Awards Ceremony
Posse Boston celebrated the newest class of Scholars on January 4th at the landmark Fairmont Copley Plaza. With over 200 family members, educators, alumni, and institutional partners in attendance, the space was filled with excitement as the Posse community recognized the new Scholars’ achievement.
This year’s Scholars earned over $10 million in full-tuition scholarships from five of the nation’s distinguished colleges and universities: Bryn Mawr College, Bucknell University, Centre College, Rutgers University and Union College. The night also marked the selection of Centre College’s fourth Virtual Program cohort, a significant milestone for the partnership as the campus anticipates having Posses in each class year for the first time in the fall.
Posse Boston Director and Denison University Posse alum Sakeenah Chapman welcomed the students to the community with words of encouragement.
“As a Posse Scholar, you’re now part of a network that will support you, encourage you, and depend on you. It will also challenge you and hold you to high standards,” said Sakeenah. “Posse’s mission is not just to get you into college; it’s to help you excel academically and become leaders on your campuses, in the workforce, and in the community."
Annie Drapeau, the Chair of the Posse Boston Advisory Board and Chief People Officer at Toast, also offered insights to the Scholars on stage.
“You will grow from being leaders on campus to becoming leaders in our workforce,” she said. “We are proud of all that you have already accomplished and cannot wait to see what amazing things the future holds for you.”
Each Scholar was recognized by their respective college’s representative during the ceremony. Posse Scholars and family members were then given an opportunity to share their thanks and excitement.
“It is important that you also come back to Boston after your education because we all know that we will need leaders and changemakers like you in the City of Boston,” shared keynote speaker Yvonne Hao, Massachusetts Secretary of the Executive Office of Economic Development.
Alumni speaker Courtney Brunson, who directs the Greater Boston Partnership to Narrow the Racial Wealth Gap at the Boston Foundation, shared the importance of the Posse network, saying, “No matter where you go, I encourage you to search for and reach out to any Posse connection you can find—at your job, at your local office, or at a local holiday party. We are here and can support you through it all.”
Posse Boston is deeply grateful to our 2024 Leadership Sponsors for making the event unforgettable:
National Premier Sponsor: Deloitte
Lead Sponsor: Nation Grid, Raytheon, TJX Companies, Toast Inc.
Benefactor: Columbia Threadneedle Investments, Putnam Investments
Partners: Azenta Life Sciences, Fidelity Investments, MFS Investment Management, State Street Corporation, Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Ambassadors: CAMP4 Therapeutics, Lincoln Financial Group
