Boston University Posse Scholar: We Are Here for Each Other

Jessica Palacios, of Marietta, Ga., has a text message saved on her phone from a 14-year-old friend of the family back home.

The message says, Im proud of you. I look up to you, says Palacios (CAS12), sweeping her long brown hair from her glasses. It gives me motivation. I dont want to ruin that. I remember I used to look up to a cousin and then she got pregnant, and I was like, oh, theres nothing to look up to anymore. In my family, theres this tendency that females get pregnant. I feel like Im starting a new pattern. My younger sisters doing really well in school, and I dont want to let her down. I need to study harder.

She is one of 12 Atlanta-bred first-year students — 9 African-Americans, 2 Hispanics, and a Caucasian — who have been guided to BU by the Posse Foundation, a national nonprofit scholarship program that recruits and trains groups of talented and motivated urban students — usually from public schools — for life on university campuses. The program aims to help a traditionally underrepresented group of students succeed in college, and in so doing, to nurture a new generation of urban leaders. And from the perspective of BU and the 31 other colleges and universities that have joined the program, Posse does something essential: it brings highly qualified students of color to campus, helping these institutions become more representative of Americas increasingly diverse demographics.

Palacios, wearing dark sweatpants and a Boston University sweatshirt, is relaxing after class in the Howard Thurman Center. This is her first semester; she is taking anthropology, writing, archaeology, and math, and shes flirting with a double major in international relations and anthropology. She is volunteering in the elementary schools in neighboring Chelsea, which has a large Hispanic population. When I went there, I was like, whoa — I kinda feel like Im at home. She says shes still looking for authentic Mexican food in Boston and — in early November — is dreading the New England winter shes heard so much about.

Palacios grew up in a small three-bedroom house in a dense Marietta neighborhood with her younger sister, brother, great uncle, and parents, both Mexican immigrants. Her mom, Francisca, was pregnant with Jessica when she came to America to join her husband, who was here working construction.

Palacios and fellow BU Posse scholar Juan Galvan (CAS12) attended Mariettas R. L. Osborne High School together. During their freshman year, Galvan says, There was at least one fight every day. There were gang fights all the time, there were race fights.

Things calmed down by their junior year, in part because Palacios and other student leaders began meeting monthly with parents and school staff, hoping to engage the largely immigrant and non-English-speaking population in their childrens education. Once you change the mentality of the parents, you see a difference in how their children react, Palacios says. The parents didnt really know how things worked, didnt know what things like GPA meant.

But how do you package such efforts for an admissions committee? Even though she graduated with a 4.0 GPA, Palacios is reluctant to reveal her SAT scores. I did horrible, she says, squirming in her chair. But that shouldnt hinder me from being successful at college. I know I can do well. Posse looks past that.

For more Boston University news and videos, check out http://today.bu.edu

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Boston University
• BU Today
• Posse Scholar Foundation

[happinesson]

very inspiring! meeting people from all walks of life is another learning process..Keep on aspiring..

[triniboyandre]

@singledad11 Whats your problem with Posse man? Are u or u friends/family a Posse reject? Only an uneducated person would be writing such childish comments. I'm ashamed of you and I don't even know you. F&M Posse6 :)

[alicia1o2191]

@singledad11 Ummmm. Hello?? What is your purpose in life?? Back off.

[singledad11]

than go back to mexico, we don't want you

[MrDjay1992]

hey i know u hoe

[drzfrofro]

Posse!!!!!!!!!

Stephen diaz

Centre Posse 4

[LadyCharms91]

Go Posse

[Maseratih22]

Congratulations! Un orgullo hispano verdadero.

Wishing you the best of luck straight from Marietta Ga & everyone who looks up to you.