Posse D.C. Celebrates 10th Anniversary Milestones

In 2014, Posse D.C. will celebrate its 10th anniversary. Over the past decade the chapter has grown to select 60 Scholars annually, supports nearly 250 Scholars on campus, and engages a growing network of nearly 150 alumni.

When Posse D.C. opened its doors in 2004, it received 400 nominations for just 20 Posse Scholarships to attend founding partner institutions Bucknell University and Grinnell College. This year, Posse D.C. and its six partner colleges and universities have selected 62 new Scholars from more than 1,500 students nominated by more than 150 area high schools and community-based organizations. This cohort of Posse D.C. Scholars were awarded more than $8 million dollars in full-tuition scholarships.

“Over the past 10 years, Posse D.C. has helped launch an extraordinary group of young leaders who bring inspiring commitment, intelligence, grit and diversity to everything they do,” says Frank Sesno, founding member and chair of the Posse D.C. Advisory Board. “They are our future and already making a difference. We couldn't be more proud of them or more privileged to know and work with them.”

Posse D.C. will celebrate a number of important milestones this year. Posses will graduate from all six partner colleges and universities in the spring. In the fall, the 11th cycle of the Dynamic Assessment Process, Posse’s unique Scholar selection process, will be underway. Finally, Posse D.C. will send its first Posse to the University of Rochester, the site’s newest partner institution.

“Being one of Posse D.C.'s first alumni makes me feel accomplished, not just in my family but in the real world,” says Nygel Knighton, an alumnus of Bucknell University. “I gained a new family that I belong to for life. I've been a brother, mentor, and friend to so many and so many have been the same for me.”