Seniors Jasmine Shirley and Caitlyn Daniels have been awarded prestigious scholarships through the Posse Foundation, a program that supports students on college campuses through a unique, supportive cohort model.

The scholarship will pay full tuition for Shirley to attend Cornell University and Daniels to attend Pomona College.

“This is such a unique opportunity that lets you level up, go to college, and get a degree—something that can be really hard to do, especially when money is the deciding factor,” said Daniels.

Shirley expressed gratitude to Oak Park and River Forest High School. “The school culture at OPRF has largely contributed to me getting the scholarship, because I feel like OPRF gives you so many opportunities to take leadership roles and be active in the community,” she said.

The Posse scholarships are designed to help students successfully navigate college. The journey to higher education is often fraught with challenges—balancing financial concerns, test scores and grade point averages, all while searching for the perfect college fit.

But the real challenge often begins after acceptance: creating a sense of home in an ever-evolving academic and social environment. That’s where the Posse Foundation steps in, holistically assembling a “posse” of like-minded peers to thrive together on top college campuses.

“The transition to college is huge,” said OPRF Counselor Megan Cahill. “So getting a head start on building that community around you and having that network ready to roll when you arrive at college is just a phenomenal opportunity.”

Each “posse” typically consists of around six students, who, after months of interviews and evaluations, are awarded full-tuition scholarships to the universities they are matched with.

The Chicago office, out of 10 city chapters, partners with institutions such as University of Wisconsin-Madison, Pomona College, Cornell University and Middlebury College, to name a few.

OPRF nominated 10 students to compete for the scholarship, including Daniels and Shirley, according to Cahill. “We’re one of the few, if not the only, suburban nominating schools,” she said. “So we’re really fortunate to even have the opportunity to nominate students.”

More than 2,400 students from the Chicago area were nominated for Posse scholarships. Shirley and Daniels join 104 students who made it into the Chicago Posse. Chicago is one of 10 Posse regions nationally.

Shirley and Daniels were selected through Posse’s rigorous “Dynamic Assessment Process,” a “nontraditional evaluation” that assesses leadership ability, teamwork and motivation, according to the Posse website.

Posse measures qualities like boldness, resilience, creativity and ability to work as one, rather than assessing student potential based on standardized tests, class rank and GPA. “A lot of what they expect you to be is kind of already in you, and they just help you play to each other’s strengths,” said Daniels. “Participating in rowing taught me that yes, doing my job is important, but the team’s success depends on everyone working together and being cohesive.”

Throughout the interview process, Posse seeks those who are deeply ingrained in leadership activities and projects. “Jasmine and Caitlyn have experience with leadership, are independent self-starters, and can pivot when necessary, all while putting their heart and soul into their academics,” said Cahill.

Shirley said, “Having that leadership mindset really helped me in those interviews, as I focused not just on showcasing my best self, but also on being mindful of putting others above myself.” Shirley and Daniels agreed that demonstrating leadership, selflessness, and a sense of community played a significant role in earning the full-tuition scholarship.

Before next fall, Daniels and Shirley will engage in a series of workshops and sessions with their Posse members and college representatives, preparing to build the right dynamic before arriving on their campuses. “The biggest thing that Cornell wants from us is to see us grow, and how that growth will positively impact those around us and contribute to the school’s culture,” said Shirley.

These accomplished students will be attending two prestigious institutions, but there is still much to learn and accomplish in order to contribute to and improve the school culture. “It’s very important that, because you’re going to be one of the only minority students at a PWI [predominantly white institution], you can interact with your peers and help bring that community together,” said Daniels.

Hoping to spread the message of Posse—to lead through diversity and leadership—Daniels said she aims not to limit herself to a single version of leadership, but to discover new aspects of herself along the way.

Shirley agreed. “We see that we have this drive, and we have this desire to keep improving ourselves and in any way possible,” she said. “I hope to bring that energy to Cornell.”