By AMANDA DE MORAES and EMMA CEPLINSKAS
As a hopeful economics major in the fall, Johnny Chen will be attending Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. Looking to gain new skills and knowledge from his college experiences, Chen is excited to take classes of a new variety in a changed environment, which is different from the “suburban and urban neighborhoods” he has been surrounded by his entire life.
Centre College is very well ranked among the schools in the United States, and Chen selected this school not only for that reason but also due to its study abroad program. The program “is ranked top 5 among liberal arts colleges.” Through the study abroad program, Chen hopes to gain world experiences that would otherwise be impossible, as well as being able to attain a bachelors degree without debt.
This had always been a concern of his; throughout his life, he had always hoped to go to college without making his parents pay too much, and be the first from his family to graduate from college.
Chen discovered POSSE during his sophomore year when some of his friends who were seniors applied for it. He then contacted B house guidance counselor Erin Craven to get more information. He stated that his top influences were Malden High Alumni Valentine Banor and Abdelhak Belatreche.
Craven was also a very crucial part of the application process, aiding Chen so that he was able to “handle it perfectly” and finish in time.
The part of the application process Chen enjoyed the most was the interviews. He admits that they were, without a doubt, the best interviews he went on, despite having been to a good amount of them. The reason it was so enjoyable was due to the interesting questions asked and the competitive nature of the interviews.
Looking to the fall, Chen is optimistic and excited to begin a new chapter in his life with the support of the POSSE foundation.
