Posse Scholar Program

History

Posse was founded in 1989 because of one student who said, “I never would’ve dropped out of college if I’d had my posse with me.” The simple idea of sending a group of students together to college so they could “back each other up” became the impetus for a program that today has identified, recruited and trained 8,490 students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential.

Since 2006, Oberlin has welcomed more than 170 Posse Scholars from Chicago. In fall 2025, the first Posse Scholars from Houston will begin studies alongside the nineteenth Chicago cohort.

Mission

The Posse model works for both students and college campuses and is rooted in the belief that a small, diverse group of talented students—a Posse—carefully selected and trained, can serve as a catalyst for individual and community development. As the United States becomes an increasingly multicultural society, Posse believes that the leaders of the 21st century should reflect the country’s rich demographic mix. The key to a promising future for our nation rests on the ability of strong leaders from diverse backgrounds to develop consensus solutions to complex social problems. Posse’s primary aim is to train these leaders of tomorrow.

For more information you may contact the Oberlin Posse Liason Dr. Kyle R. Williams.