2008 Woodie Awards
Taking the A-Train to A-Town: Posse-tive Changes for Lawrence
Emily Passey
Issue date: 1/18/08 Section: News
Last September, 10 students from New York City's five boroughs found themselves at Lawrence University. In December, a posse from Lawrence which included Vice President for Enrollment Steve Syverson, Director of Admissions Ken Anselment, Assocciate Dean of Students for Multicultural Affairs Erik Farley, and Professors Michael Kim and Eileen Hoft-March -- future mentor for Posse Two -- traveled to New York to choose Posse Two, due to arrive on campus September 2008. If you have not yet noticed, New York City is here to stay.
"They're awesome," said Posse One member Isake Smith of Posse Two. "They seem very dynamic."
Provost and Dean of the Faculty Dave Burrows spoke warmly of the second group, and of the entire Posse experience. A native New Yorker himself, Burrows applauds the Posse Foundation's work to merge urban and non-urban through the medium of the Posse scholars.
In 2006, Lawrence chose New York because "the nature of diversity in New York City is so rich and so interesting."
"We wanted to increase our general presence in New York City," said Burrows. The relationship is beneficial for Lawrence because Posse schools are known about amongst high school faculty and other people. The visibility increase for Lawrence is "huge."
"The Posse Foundation's vision is to enhance access for urban Americans to the education provided by top colleges, preparing them to take on leadership roles in America's future," said Posse One mentor, Associate Professor of Physics Matt Stoneking.
Stoneking believes that Posse benefits non-urban campuses like Lawrence by bringing the "perspectives that are informed by the ethnic, racial, and economic diversity that you see of urban America, but that are not currently well-represented at liberal arts colleges."
Isake Smith can speak to this notion. "I've had to deal with things that other people haven't. I grew up in Bed-Stuy, which is a bad neighborhood, depending on who you ask. But it's New York -- that's the way I grew up."
"They're awesome," said Posse One member Isake Smith of Posse Two. "They seem very dynamic."
Provost and Dean of the Faculty Dave Burrows spoke warmly of the second group, and of the entire Posse experience. A native New Yorker himself, Burrows applauds the Posse Foundation's work to merge urban and non-urban through the medium of the Posse scholars.
In 2006, Lawrence chose New York because "the nature of diversity in New York City is so rich and so interesting."
"We wanted to increase our general presence in New York City," said Burrows. The relationship is beneficial for Lawrence because Posse schools are known about amongst high school faculty and other people. The visibility increase for Lawrence is "huge."
"The Posse Foundation's vision is to enhance access for urban Americans to the education provided by top colleges, preparing them to take on leadership roles in America's future," said Posse One mentor, Associate Professor of Physics Matt Stoneking.
Stoneking believes that Posse benefits non-urban campuses like Lawrence by bringing the "perspectives that are informed by the ethnic, racial, and economic diversity that you see of urban America, but that are not currently well-represented at liberal arts colleges."
Isake Smith can speak to this notion. "I've had to deal with things that other people haven't. I grew up in Bed-Stuy, which is a bad neighborhood, depending on who you ask. But it's New York -- that's the way I grew up."
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