Intentional Diversity

“Even though I am African-American,” says Zac Ellington ’10, “I don’t think I truly understood the benefits and importance of diversity — not just racial, but socioeconomic, geographic, and experiential — until arriving on Grinnell’s campus with my Posse.”

Posse Scholars are students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who may be overlooked by traditional college recruiting methods. Each Posse consists of about 10 students who attend college together as a group.

The Posse Foundation recruits students from nine urban areas in the U.S. and then helps them prepare for and apply to participating colleges like Grinnell.

As of 2014, 97 Posse Scholars have graduated from Grinnell, 59 from Los Angeles and 38 from Washington, D.C. Nationally, 90 percent of Posse recruits graduate from college.

Introducing Posse Alumni

Javon Garcia ’14

• Major: gender, women’s, and sexuality studies
• Position: HIV/AIDS counselor and educator, AIDS United Chicago
• Posse city: Washington, D.C.

“I would not be where I am right now without Posse and Grinnell,” Garcia says. “It has given me so many opportunities.”

Garcia counsels and educates Illinois residents through AIDS United Chicago, a group consisting of AmeriCorps volunteers.

In New York, Garcia served as a public health intern for Harlem United and conducted street outreach for the Audre Lorde Project, which provides services for clients with HIV/AIDS. 

“Posse for me is not just for four years,” says Garcia. “We are lifelong friends. It’s just a commitment we have made for life.”

Rosal Chavira ’11

• Major: Spanish and sociology
• Position: site lead, Leslie Lewis School of Excellence, Chicago
• Posse city: Los Angeles

With five brothers and five sisters, Rosal Chavira says college might not have been affordable for her family. After her high school English teacher suggested Posse, she knew college was a part of her future. 

“Grinnell has a reputation for creating critical thinkers and creating educators who go back and serve,” says Chavira, a first-generation college student.

“Being a mentor and teacher is both rewarding and grueling work, but I wake up every morning to serve my students — because they too deserve to see and rise above their circumstance into the greatness they have the potential to become,” Chavira says.

Zac Ellington ’10

• Major: psychology
• Position: international program director, World Scholar’s Cup Foundation, Los Angeles
• Posse city: Los Angeles

“The power of any posse is greater than the sum of its parts, and I was and still am fascinated by the way students of different backgrounds who don’t necessarily share interests come together to be a force for dialogue and change,” Ellington says.

“It helped me understand why colleges, especially liberal arts institutions like Grinnell, strive to look past just test scores when admitting an incoming class,” he says.

Frank, meaningful conversations during Posse Plus Retreats helped inform the entire campus.

“Some of the conversations that started during the retreats became recurring themes in campus dialogues, and I really feel that the retreats helped participating students find their voices,” he says.

Lester Alemán ’07

• Major: sociology and education
• Position: program director, Posse Los Angeles
• Posse city: Los Angeles

When Lester Alemán attended high school, his college plans were underdeveloped.  

“I was thinking very vocationally,” says Alemán, a first-generation college student. “The purpose was to go off and find a career to pay me.”

Fortunately, being nominated for Posse expanded his college possibilities — and it led him to Grinnell.

“I can’t imagine having gone to college without a Posse,” Alemán says.

Posse became an even bigger part of his life after graduation in 2007. Now, he works on behalf of the program to help exceptional students have their own Posse experience. Alemán worked as a trainer for Posse Los Angeles and is now its program director. His academic background as a sociology and education major fit well with building a career at Posse and helping students.

At Grinnell, he experienced “an amazing” Posse mentor, lasting friendships with Posse Scholars, and encouragement to excel academically.

“Posse is a transformational experience,” he says.