Posse scholarship pays for college

When Alejandra Palomino first arrived as a freshman at John Adams High School in Ozone Park, she had a tough time not getting lost.
“The responsible girl you see here,” the 17-year-old said politely while sitting in the principal’s office recently, “that wasn’t me when I first got here.”
In her sophomore year, however, Palomino got involved in the school’s student journal, and from there, with the assistance of several teachers, she became much more engaged, winning the school’s student body presidency and recently earning a scholarship to Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA through a program to bring talented, urban leaders to top-tiered schools.
“She has really improved in her academics,” said John Adams Principal Grace Zwillenberg. “In addition, she is a very giving young lady who is involved in a myriad of projects.”
Through the program, the Posse Foundation, Inc., Palomino only has to pay for room and board at the pricey, private college. Her tuition, which totals more than $36,000 each year, will be taken care of.
“My parents were really happy. They started crying,” Palomino said, describing the moment when she, mom Edga and dad Vicente first found out that she had won the award. “Most of all I’m just happy I didn’t have to fill out all of those college applications,” she joked.
To earn the scholarship and opportunity to head to college with an already-developed network, Palomino had to compete against 3,000 Posse participants through what the program touts as the Dynamic Assessment Process (DAP). DAP aims to identify students with leadership talent, ability to work in a team with people from diverse backgrounds, and a desire to succeed who may not have stood out on their SATs and the traditional college admissions process. In the end, 147 were chosen from New York City to attend universities, scattered throughout the country, and Palomino is the first John Adams student to win the scholarship.
As part of the Posse program, Palomino heads to Wall Street to college prep classes from 3:30 until 6:30 p.m. every Wednesday after school.
In addition, the South Richmond Hill resident must meet with her “posse,” the group of 11 students who she has been training with since last year, once a week for the first two years of college.
However, Palomino’s posse is not allowed to dorm together - so that they will be able to build their own personal friendships and have the chance to interact with more students.
Palomino said she chose Franklin & Marshall because it offers a political science major, which she wants to pursue.
Until her high school graduation rolls around, Palomino plans to keep her plate full, working for student groups, Aspira and the Latin Political Action Club. Moreover, the aspiring lawyer, whose favorite class is English, participates in both mock and moot trial clubs, where kids reenact the legal process of jury and constitutional trials respectively.
Now that she has her college picked out, Palomino is already aiming higher. After a law career, she hopes to get into politics.