Posse Celebrates 15 Years in Boston
Twenty-five years ago, The Posse Foundation was founded in New York City. Once established as a successful program bringing outstanding young leaders to elite colleges and universities, Posse launched its second chapter in Boston in 1999. Today, Posse is a national initiative with chapters in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York City and Washington, D.C.
This year, as the Foundation celebrates 25 years of Posse Scholar success, Posse Boston reaches its 15-year milestone. Posse Scholars across the country persist and graduate from college at a rate of 90 percent—far above the national average—and are leaders on their campuses and in their communities.
Posse Boston is grateful to its supporters, college and university partners, Scholars and alumni who have made its history in Boston an incredibly successful one. Below are some highlights:
1999: Posse Boston opens its doors.
“With strong support from Boston public school administrators, the City of Boston’s mayor, as well as Boston’s corporate and philanthropic communities, Posse Boston has flourished,” says Jamie Hoyte, the founding chairman of the Posse Boston Advisory Board Member. “Supporting Posse’s success and growth has been one of the most rewarding and fulfilling endeavors with which I have ever been associated.”
2000: Posse Boston sends its first Posse of 10 students to partner Bowdoin College and welcomes two new partners: Bryn Mawr College and Hamilton College. Posse Boston continues to build strong community support from companies in the Greater Boston Area and beyond, many of whom become longstanding partners of Posse.
"We’re excited that our partnership with Posse has allowed their Scholars the opportunity to gain professional work experience in financial services," says Michael J Scannell, the senior vice president of global human resources and corporate citizenship at State Street Corporation . "This relationship is important to State Street as it has also provided us with access to a great pipeline of talented candidates."
2003: Patricia “Trish” Arnold joins the Posse Boston Advisory Board. Trish serves as the advisory board chair for five years and, in 2009, is named a life director on the national board in recognition of her commitment and generosity to Posse.
“Posse is a compelling and vital program that directly addresses the complex and diverse issues in our society," says Trish. "Beyond benefiting our scholars, Posse positively affects our college partners, the places our graduates work, and the cities and neighborhoods where they live and volunteer."
2004: The first cohort of Posse Boston Scholars graduates from college.
"I am grateful that I can get to know and play a part in the lives of stunning kids who, because of what Posse offers, will make a positive difference in the world," Posse Boston Advisory Board member Lawson Allen. "I pinch myself every day for that privilege, and I am proud to be a part of that largesse and impact. It doesn’t get better."
2005-2007: Denison University, Centre College, Union College and Bucknell University join Bryn Mawr and Hamilton as institutional partners.
2011: Posse Boston reaches full capacity, annually selecting 60 new Scholars and supporting 40 Scholars on each campus in addition to a growing community of alumni.
2012: Posse Boston alumnus Adnan Prsic wins the Posse Star Award. (Adnan, who immigrated to the United States as a refugee from Bosnia, is today a resident surgeon in plastic and reconstructive surgery at Brown University.)
2013: Posse Boston sends its first STEM Posse to Bryn Mawr College. This group of young women is composed of Scholars majoring in science, technology, engineering and math. This Posse is the first ever all-women’s STEM Posse.
2014: Posse Boston supports a robust alumni community of approximately 375 alumni, and a full complement of Scholars across six college and university campuses. Since 1999, more than 700 Posse Scholarships worth $84 million have been awarded to students from the Greater Boston Area.
