For the fifth year in a row, Hancock College Prep High School on the city’s Southwest side celebrates its students who earned full college scholarships from the Posse Foundation, an organization supporting students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential. Chicago Public Schools students Barbara Cruz, Tatyana Hornof, and Sergio Ruvalcaba can focus on their studies because all four years of their college tuition will be paid. Sergio describes this program as more than just the money. “Aside from money,” he says, “we get a support system. We are not just team building for next eight months. We are also getting into the academic side. We’re getting mentors to give us an idea of what to expect.” In the last five years, Hancock produced eleven Posse Scholars.
Posse is a national, competitive program that sends high-achieving students who may be overlooked to college in a group or posse. With the financial support, mentoring, and peer connections, Posse Scholars graduate at a rate of 90 percent and, according to the foundation, “make a visible difference on campus and throughout their professional careers.” Since its 1989 inception in New York, Posse has supported over 2,200 alumni...