I took my first-year seminar with Clarissa Peterson, professor of political science and director of the black studies program. The course was called Race, Power and Privilege.
As an intended political science major, I was excited to have gotten into the course, but unsure of what to expect.
I was unaware before the class of the Posse Foundation program, a competitive full-tuition scholarship given to public high school student in urban areas who display exceptional academic and leadership potential. My first-year seminar included five Posse scholars, all of whom I quickly grew to like.
Posse scholars have a legitimate presence in the makeup of every graduating class at DePauw.
However, there seems to be a perception that they do not deserve the scholarship. It does not make sense to me why this animosity exists towards the program. You could chalk it up to some of the misinformation about the scholarship, or simply ignorance.
One particular classmate of mine really sticks out in my mind; her name is Shavon Mathus, also a senior. Not only is she still a friend of mine, but also she is an inspiring example of everything that is right in the program.
Coming from a low-income community on the south side of Chicago, Mathus realized that she represented the exception to the rule as a college student.
The educational inequality she witnessed growing up and better understands now as a college student lit a fire inside of her. She realized that this issue was one of the most pressing problems in urban America. She has always said to me, "If not me, who?" and, "If not now, when?'
Mathus has the ultimate goal of opening her own school to support students from low income communities. Twenty years from now, I know I will look back on my time at DePauw and the first-year seminar that introduced me to Mathus as something to be proud of.
Her selflessness is admirable, and she will make a positive impact on countless lives. I will be happy to tell people that I knew her.
Without the opportunities that Posse provided for her, would she have the same opportunity going forward in life? Obviously I cannot answer that with certainty, but I would guess that Posse was instrumental in giving her the opportunity to pursue her passion for education reform.
Posse gave Mathus not only the opportunity to pursue an education, but also the support system that helped her succeed during her four years in Greencastle.
If the Posse Foundation is developing leaders who will make a positive influence later in life, the DePauw community should embrace the program for the opportunity it gives our school.
The Posse Foundation identifies leaders and sends them to reputable schools, like DePauw, and as a community we should respect the value of these students.
Posse is not a charity program, stop treating it like one. If you take the time to meet a Posse scholar, you'll realize what they add to DePauw. If Mathus does not make you believe in the overwhelmingly positive nature of Posse, I do not know what will.
-- Small is a senior history and political science double major from Zionsville, Ind.