Posse wishes to foster leadership, help students pursue their academic goals, and promote cultural diversity among college campuses. This year, Posse is providing seven lucky Malden High School students the chance to represent MHS as they attend their new schools this upcoming fall of 2015.
MHS Posse scholar Aryzona MacDonald will be heading to Danville, Kentucky after graduation. MacDonald is excited to begin her journey as a Centre College student. At first, MacDonald had not planned to even attempt to become a Posse scholar as she “did not think [she] had any chance” due to “so many kids from [MHS]” and all over the Greater Boston area that apply. However, that all changed when her “best friend made [her] go to the meeting.”
The interview was “really nerve wracking” for MacDonald, but “overall [the process to be a scholar] was good.” When she received the acceptance call, MacDonald expressed that she was overjoyed and “cried [because she] was so excited.” Centre College is a private liberal arts college that MacDonald hopes will accommodate and help her in transitioning from a golden tornado to a colonel. Centre has a similar tight-knit community that MHS also offers. MacDonald is extremely ecstatic about “a change in scenery” and “to try new things,” as she believes the experience is going to be a “culture shock.” MacDonald describes her posse as “fun, loud and energetic” and “really, really smart.” Though MacDonald is moving onto Centre, she will not forget her time at MHS.
Posse scholars Jesse Yu and Jasmine Nguyen will happily be attending Hamilton College. Hamilton College is located in Upstate New York. Yu explained that it is “kind of something [he] wanted, to go far away, Upstate New York is not extremely far away but it is enough for [him].” He also adds that he “felt comfortable, it was not necessarily easy, but [he is] in this program called summer search and basically every week [they] have a weekly interview.”
Hamilton College is known as an accepting college that strives to encourage individuality. Yu stated that he “[expects] a lot of support from [his group] and it’s just nice to know that you have people to lean back on when you’re in the middle of nowhere and you do not know anyone else.”
Nguyen also expressed excitement towards bonding with her “posse” and she “[expects] them to be the family away [that] they’re supposed to be.” Nguyen has yet to “know each [individual in her group] in depth yet, but [she] would say the bond between the ten of [them] is pretty great so far.” Along with moving on to great opportunities comes leaving behind the way you once lived, Nguyen is “not really fond of the idea, but sometimes you just have to let go of your past and embrace the future.” The whole experience feels surreal to Yu and Nguyen, and they will be dearly missed by everyone at MHS.
Denison University will be most delighted to welcome Posse scholars and Blue and Gold members Julie Lam, Sumya Mohiuddin along with Madina Khudaynazar. According to Mohiuddin, the overall process of becoming a Posse scholar “was not pressuring.” Students applying and seeking to become a Posse scholar had to participate in varied activities that worked to display students’ leadership and communication skills. Denison University is located in Granville, Ohio, which is quite different from Malden and a good distance away.
Khudaynazar explained, “[she] grew up in the city, so [moving to Granville is] going to be a huge transformation for [her].” Besides the difference in where they will live, the Posse scholars will experience a new sense of support through their Posse. With reference to the Posse attending Denison University, Madina stated “I’m so excited to learn from them and offer my diversity as well.” Khudaynazar also expressed that the benefit of being a part of this group was that “things we would not normally talk about [they] can talk about because [they] have people from all over the world.” She also adds that “just having that mentorship and that peer support, [she] think[s] is really important.
Union College, a private liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York will welcome MHS senior Nahom Ghile as a fellow Dutchman come fall. Ghile was inspired to apply for the scholarship by “friends [from] last year who got the Posse scholarship and they told [him] how great it was.”
Ghile is proud to have won the scholarship, and stated that he felt “good to know that among all the people [that applied for Posse, he is] one of the lucky few who was able to get the scholarship.”
After his acceptance, Ghile felt relief, as he knew for the next 4 years of his life things were all set financially. Ghile’s family is also proud of him in winning the scholarship to the point where they were “jumping for joy.” Ghile is excited to spend the next 4 years with his “posse”, which he feels is “very energetic…they love making jokes [and] they are very family-like.”
Ghile will miss the many wonderful memories filled with fun and lasting relationships with all his friends and teachers at MHS, but is excited to begin a new chapter of his career.
