October 30, 2024
Providence College establishes partnership with The Posse Foundation
Ten students from New Orleans, Louisiana, will enroll at Providence College in the Fall 2025 semester as the first cohort selected through a new partnership with The Posse Foundation.
Posse is a 35-year-old organization based in New York City. Described as “one of the most comprehensive college access and youth leadership initiatives in the United States,” it operates chapters in 10 cities and recruits students from metropolitan areas around the country.
PC is one of several colleges and universities linked with Posse’s chapter in New Orleans. Posse staff members are currently assessing high school seniors “who might be missed by traditional admissions criteria but who can excel at selective colleges and universities.” A group of personnel from the college will travel to New Orleans in November to interview approximately 20 of those students, all of whom will by then have applied to PC. Ten students from that group will be admitted as members of the Class of 2029 under the Early Decision option.
“This collaboration with Posse exemplifies the values and ideals central to our mission at Providence College,” said College President Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P. ’78, ’82G. “Access to Catholic education for those who deserve opportunity was PC’s primary founding principle and our commitment to providing that access has never wavered. These students will add measurably to our community, and I look forward to their arrival.”
A new cohort will follow each year, so PC will eventually have 40 Posse students from New Orleans in its student population. The students will receive full tuition scholarships, with the opportunity to apply financial aid to covering other costs.
Posse students will present high academic aptitude, and the selection process also filters for motivation and leadership potential.
“Being a member of the Posse Program allows Providence College to expand our community to include ambitious, talented student leaders from the New Orleans area who are eager to learn, engage, and immerse themselves within the Friar family,” said Steven A. Sears, Ed.D., senior vice president for student affairs and PC’s designated Posse liaison. “We are thrilled and looking forward to our journey together.”
PC has appointed Brandon Martinez, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology, to serve as its initial faculty mentor. He will establish close relationships with each Posse student, convening weekly group meetings and regular individual meetings to provide support and guidance.
“Posse membership represents a mark of distinction for Providence College,” said Martinez, a Texas native who came to the northeast for the first time when he joined the PC faculty in 2015. “This role involves being a resource and a source of stability. Others have poured into me as mentors, and I look forward to serving these students in a similar manner as they navigate the transition to college life, both academically and culturally.”
Posse personnel also provide substantial support after the students enroll, visiting each partner institution four times per year and providing a weekend-long retreat at the end of the academic year.
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