Three seniors from Arlington Public Schools were selected on Mar. 26 to receive four-year, full-tuition scholarships from The Posse Foundation to attend partnering colleges and universities.
The scholarships were awarded to Lary Renderos Reyes of Arlington Career Center, who will attend William & Mary; Elisha Gooden of H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program, who will attend the University of Rochester; and Lucas Lopez of Wakefield High School, who will attend the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
The Posse Foundation identifies and trains promising students from urban high schools, sending them in groups known as “Posses”—each consisting of ten students—to top colleges and universities. In addition to covering tuition for four years, recipients receive comprehensive programmatic support throughout their college experience.
Nominees are put forward by high school counselors or community-based organizations. The selection process involves three rounds of interviews conducted between September and December in what is called the Dynamic Assessment Process. During the final stage, each student meets with representatives from their chosen institution—including the Dean of Admissions, tenured faculty members, and the university president—before final selections are made collaboratively by Posse staff and college partners.
These awards highlight ongoing efforts to provide greater access to higher education for talented students through partnerships between public schools and scholarship organizations.
