By Erica Rocha
This year the Posse Foundation had around 2,600 nominees and about 110 winners from Chicago. Seven of those Posse scholars are Lane students.
Justin Cancel, Div. 452, is one of the winners who was awarded full tuition for college through the Posse Foundation. Like most nominees, Cancel was not confident at the start of the competition. When he heard that there were hundreds of nominees, he did not believe he would even make it through the first round.
“Right there I was like ‘well I’m not getting [the scholarship]’ but here I am,” Cancel said.
To win full tuition through this program, Posse nominees go through the Dynamic Assessment Process (DAP). This includes three phases that include group interviews, individual interviews, and other assessment tasks over a period of several months.
“Going through three rigorous interviews was very intimidating because you’re in this group sitting with tons of other students across Chicago who want this scholarship as much as you do,” Cancel said. “I kept thinking that I had to be what they are looking for in order for me to win the scholarship, but then I was able to relax when I came to the conclusion that I have to be myself in order to get noticed.”
Mrs. Console, counselor at the College and Career Center (CCC), assisted all 60 initial nominees by preparing them for each phase and identifying their strengths.
“I prep them so they’ll be ready for anything in these interviews… the [interviews] are very intense and crazy,” Console said. “The thing is Posse never tells us what to expect because there’s really no format.”
After nine years of preparing students for the DAP, Console believes she knows what Posse is looking for.
“They want kids who can think on their feet,” Console said.
Although about 30 nominees qualified for the second phase, most of them were surprised they made the cut.
“[The nominees] have that sense of self doubt… but they’re very humble that they made it through each round,” Console said.
Like Cancel, Gabriele Bieliauskaite, Div. 462, won a Posse scholarship to Denison University in Ohio. She also prepared on her own before she went through each phase.
“I was nervous during [the interviews]… like everyone was,” Bieliauskaite said. “[In preparation] for the second round interview when it was one-on-one, I did fake interviews with my dad so I could talk through questions and how to answer them.”
Bieliauskaite also researched the partnering colleges she chose to apply for before she was interviewed. During the first round she was surprised to see how well all the nominees were interacting.
“People were nice to each other, which was surprising because you would think they’d be competitive,” Bieliauskaite said. “But you could see it in some of them trying to act out. If you’re nervous it’s a huge minus for you so you just have to fit in I guess.”
While Bieliauskaite focused on calming her nerves by fitting in, Nushrat Jahan, Div. 465, tried to stand out through her application for the QuestBridge scholarship program.
“My mom was the one who told me if there’s anything different about me from other people, all I had to do was make that clear in the application because a lot of schools and scholarships look for different traits and qualities,” Jahan said.
Unlike the Posse Foundation, QuestBridge scholarships provide students with full rides to college. QuestBridge, however, does not conduct interviews. To qualify, students must be high-achieving and come from low-income households.
From approximately 15,000 applicants, 440 students were matched to a partnering college to which they were awarded full ride scholarships. Once accepted to one of QuestBridge’s partner colleges, applicants become part of the Quest Scholars Network.
Through this organization, Jahan was able to join the Network in which students were awarded full ride scholarships to the University of Chicago, where she will live on campus.
Posse scholars become part of a network during their senior year and remain a part of it through college. Posse places 10 diverse scholars, from different cities, together to create a “posse” that will remain together for all four years of college.
“It’s really priceless because they’re with the Posse network… The connections and all the job opportunities are there for [the students] after they graduate,” Console said.
Although Cancel and Bieliauskaite will miss their friends at Lane, they are excited to attend Denison.
“I’m excited for everything… to see how it is living somewhere else almost on your own,” Bieliauskaite said. “It’s going to be very different living there compared to Chicago.”
Bieliauskaite believes that even though students may not be interested in the partner schools the scholarship programs connect them with, they should still apply and see if they pass through the rounds. Cancel agrees.
“Just go for it. You might not think you have that special something they are looking for, but you never know,” Cancel said. “If you try and don’t make it then that just means you were meant for something greater… don’t get discouraged.”
Although the number of nominees is usually cut in half every round, Console believes Lane students have a strong chance of winning the scholarships. According to Console, this year Lane has had the most Posse winners since she began working as a counselor in the College and Career Center.
“I’m not surprised at the [students] that won the [scholarships]. They really are great candidates for it,” Console said. “They are Posse.”
