Seniors Ricky Gomez and Miguel Giron are two of only 15 MCPS students to receive a full college scholarship from the Posse Foundation.

The Posse Foundation was established with the goal of identifying and supporting individuals with exceptional leadership skills. According to the organization’s website, a unique evaluation method is used to select students with strong leadership potential that may have gone unnoticed by universities’ traditional selection process.

With an opportunity as prestigious and valuable as the Posse Scholarship is, it is no surprise how many students apply. The scale of this scholarship opportunity even convinced Giron that winning would be near impossible. “When I first got nominated for the Posse Scholarship, I thought there was no chance I would actually get it. The first couple of interviews had hundreds of kids and I didn’t know what stood me apart,” Giron said.

However, as the selection process progressed, the dream of getting the scholarship became closer to reality. “I got to the final interview. There were 20 people and I knew 10 of us were going to get it,” Giron said.

Giron was thrilled when he joined a Zoom meeting and was finally given the good news. “The first person I told was my close friend and [then] my grandmother and they were both super proud of me. I couldn’t believe it and was super excited. Their reaction meant everything to me,” Giron said.

Giron plans to attend Bucknell University and is excited to study economics. Apart from academics, he said he cannot wait to make new friends, enjoy the college scene, meet his roommate, and strengthen bonds with current friends.

Gomez will attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison, majoring in computer science. Gomez said he is excited to explore a new city and meet friends in his new college environment.

Gomez serves as the first member of his close family to attend college. “I am really grateful for receiving the Posse Scholarship. Being the first person in my close family to go to college and especially on scholarship, is something I am very proud of. It showed me how hard work truly does pay off,” Gomez said.

Senior Daniel Yaya, a friend of Gomez’s, has recognized the dedication and commitment Gomez has to his academics and to being a leader in the community. “He has worked incredibly hard the past couple years and my friends and I are all really proud of him. He has shown incredible leadership as a varsity soccer captain and president of the Spanish Honor Society. I couldn’t think of a more deserving student for the scholarship,” Yaya said.

The Posse Foundation continues to shape America’s future by supporting students of diverse backgrounds in their academic pursuits and by preparing them to be strong leaders as they move on to new opportunities. Whether it’s entrepreneurship, arts or robotics, the Posse Foundation is influential in ensuring that the leaders of our society represent the growing diversity of the country.