Same students selected for as a Pose scholarship leaders

For over three decades the Posse Scholarship has succeeded at offering small, diverse groups of students—or “posses”—a chance at one day leading their communities towards a bright future. This school year, Samo seniors Karina Davanzo (’19) and Dahlia Michael (’19) have both been bestowed this selective scholarship to attend Tulane University.The process to become a posse scholar is lengthy, requiring aspiring students to complete several phases, each incorporating an interview portion to evaluate the potential nominees. As Davanzo began the interviewing process, she was surprised by the vast number of students per-interview, and overall amount of people applying for the position.“The first interview is a with a huge group - about 60 kids. [The interviewers] have the students interact while they watch to see who has leadership qualities. If you get past that round, you have a one-on-one interview where you talk more about yourself and the schools you’re interested in,” Davanzo said.The final phase consists of finding out which school you are a finalist for, then subsequently getting interviewed by college representatives of that specific school. If you surpass this round, you officially become a “Posse Scholar.”Both Davanzo and Michael look to use this opportunity to take their academic careers to new heights. Davanzo aspires to become a surgeon, whereas Michael looks to obtain a law degree and become a civil rights attorney. The Posse Scholarship has given both students an opportunity to pursue their futures in ways unimaginable before. Michael was especially impacted by the honor, thrilled with the chance she has been given to attend college.“As a first generation college student I’ve always dreamed of attending a four year university, but certainly didn’t know how I was going to pay for it. In that regard, I can’t even begin to describe how much this scholarship means to me,” Michael said.With their college careers soon-to-be underway, Davanzo and Michael are both immensely grateful for this opportunity the Posse Foundation has given them, and look forward towards all the positive changes they will now inevitably make in their future fields.