The Vanderbilt Posse Scholar Program is seeking staff members to serve as mentors to the university’s Posse Scholars.
The national Posse Foundation identifies, recruits and trains individuals with extraordinary leadership potential. The Posse model is rooted in the belief that a small, diverse group of talented students—a posse—can serve as a catalyst for individual and community development. As the United States becomes increasingly multicultural, the foundation believes that the leaders of tomorrow should reflect the country’s rich demographic mix. The program is grounded in the idea that the key to a promising future for the nation rests in the ability of strong leaders from diverse backgrounds to develop consensus solutions to complex social problems.
Vanderbilt University was the original Posse partner school and celebrated 30 years of partnership with the organization in 2019. Posse Scholars receive full-tuition leadership scholarships from Vanderbilt.
Each cohort of 10 Posse Scholars at Vanderbilt is assigned two dedicated staff or faculty members who serve as mentors and give generously of their time and talents to help lead their teams in weekly meetings, team building and individual and group support. Mentors support their Posse Scholars for the students’ entire tenure at Vanderbilt.
Posse mentorship demands a substantial time commitment, particularly during the Posse Scholars’ first and second years on campus.
“Being a Posse mentor is a rewarding and personally enriching experience,” said Otis McGresham, who serves as mentor to Vanderbilt Posse 28, the group of scholars currently in their senior year at Vanderbilt. “There are few other experiences working in student affairs where you get the opportunity to develop such close relationships with students as they mature and develop in front of you.
“Watching my scholars find their way and have a positive impact on the Vanderbilt community has been a highlight of my career in student affairs,” he said.