Macalester’s first cohort of Posse Foundation students was celebrated at the inaugural Macalester Posse Scholar Graduation Ceremony, held in Mairs Concert Hall on May 7.
In just four years, the Posse Foundation is already having a significant impact on the culture of Macalester’s student body. The program helps more Minnesotan high school students receive a world-class education right here in St. Paul.
“Macalester Posse Scholars come from the neighborhoods that surround Mac, representing the richly diverse communities in the Twin Cities,” says Dean of Admissions Elyan Paz. “They contribute to our student body through their leadership, curiosity, and lived experiences, actively participating in the shared goals of Macalester and Posse—to prepare students to lead and make a difference in the communities they’ll join as graduates.”
Being recruited by the Posse Foundation is no small feat. Students are nominated by high school mentors and selected through a rigorous process that emphasizes leadership and merit demonstrated long before they arrive at Macalester.
Once on campus, the cohort forms a close-knit, built-in community that offers holistic support while pushing one another to thrive within Macalester’s rigorous academic environment.
“Posse had seen in me the leader I had yet to recognize myself,” says Calla Lee ‘26. “They invested their time, effort, and care into my education because they had faith I would become the changemaker I am today. Posse at Macalester is special, bringing local communities back to the college, so being able to be a part of the first generation of Posse grads makes me excited for all of the future members of this community who will be able to experience the same transformations I did.”
Students work with a faculty mentor at Macalester, meeting weekly as a group and biweekly one-on-one throughout their time at the college.
“The template encourages the Posse mentor to tune into every phase of growth of the Posse scholar from move-in day to the first day of classes and from finishing up first year to navigating into a major,” says mentor and chair of American studies Karín Aguilar-San Juan. “The foundation emphasizes connecting Posse scholars to faculty mentors as a way to hasten the development of institutional knowledge.”
This year’s cohort of nine students was awarded full-tuition scholarships to attend Macalester.
