SUMMER 2010
los angeles
Reception Promotes Power of 10
Mason Richards, a member of the
committee, was instrumental in securing
the venue and providing support for the
event’s program.
“I was happy that I could contribute
to the success of this event as a member of
the committee and as a Posse Alumnus,”
says Mason.
On April 28, over 60 people gathered
at Off Vine Restaurant in Hollywood to
learn about Posse’s impact in the field
of college access and youth leadership
development within the Los Angeles
community.
The private reception was organized
by Posse Los Angeles’ Power of 10 Host
Committee, who invited guests to learn
about the Posse Program.
I WAS HAPPY TO CONTRIBUTE
AS A COMMITTEE MEMBER AND
AS A POSSE ALUMNUS
THE COCKTAIL RECEPTION RAISED
OVER $17,000 AND INCLUDED
A MATCHING CHALLENGE
The Power of 10 Host Committee—a
group of emerging community leaders—is
charged with increasing awareness of
Posse’s mission, identifying new sources of
financial support and increasing individual
involvement with Posse Los Angeles.
The event raised over $17,000 and
Los Angeles Advisory Board member David Henry and guest.
included a matching challenge made
by the members of the Host Committee
and Los Angeles board member Raj Vig.
Vanderbilt Posse 3 (New York) Alumnus
The cocktail reception marked Posse
Los Angeles’ first fundraising event of
the year, helping to promote Posse in
the community and encourage a strong
turnout for L.A.’s first annual Power of 10
event on October 6—the largest fundraiser
held at the local site level.
*
Mentor Empowers Campus and Local Community
POSSE LOS ANGELES SUMMER 2010
As a member of Claremont McKenna
(CMC) Posse 4, Daniel Ramirez plays an
empowering role on campus and in the
neighboring community. He’s a mentor
and a strong advocate for his Mexican
heritage, especially when supporting
young people who might identify with him.
scholar
highlight
Daniel Ramirez, CMC Posse 4
“I like setting an example,” he says.
“Given that I’m Latino and attending a
school like Claremont McKenna, sharing
that experience with kids with a similar
background is important, so they can see
it’s possible for them to do it too—like
Danny Ramirez (far right) and the other members of Claremont McKenna Posse 4.
See “MENTOR” on Page iv
i
Posse Paints the Town on Big Sunday
POSSE LOS ANGELES SUMMER 2010
On an early Sunday morning in May,
Posse Scholars, Alumni, staff and friends
teamed up with Big Sunday and the
California Hispanic Commission Against
Drugs and Alcohol to paint and revamp
their teen center in East Los Angeles.
Big Sunday’s mission is to build
community through community service.
Each spring, thousands of local volunteers
participate in Big Sunday Weekend—one
of the largest regional community service
events in the country—to lend a hand to
nonprofits, schools and other agencies in
Southern California.
ii
THIS EXPERIENCE PROVIDED AN
INVALUABLE LESSON ON THE
POWER OF VOLUNTEERING
Posse Los Angeles Scholars, Alumni and friends work together to beautify the CHCADA facilities in East L.A.
Last year, Posse Scholars, staff and
Alumni volunteered at two different sites.
They enjoyed the experience of giving
back so much that this year, Posse Alumni
Devin Walker, Wisconsin Posse 1, and
Christian Aparicio, Claremont McKenna
Posse 2, took the lead on their own project.
The California Hispanic Commission
of Alcohol and Drug Abuse (CHCADA)
serves low-income Latinos and other
marginalized populations throughout the
state. The teen center, Hermanos Drug
Abuse Prevention Project, is an afterschool prevention program that works
closely with local schools, churches and
community centers to provide youth with
prevention and intervention services. Posse Alumni and Scholars were
excited to help the organization continue
to fulfill its cause by cleaning, organizing,
prepping and painting. The makeover
of the facilities will attract more youth
to attend and receive the organization’s
services.
Many of the kids that take advantage
of the facilities also helped with the
project. One could see the pride they took
in the work they were putting into the
same place that helps them escape some of
the harsh realities of East Los Angeles.
Not only was Posse helping in the
community, this experience provided
Scholars with an invaluable lesson on the
power of volunteering and teamwork.
It was a great chance for Posse
Scholars to interact with Posse Alumni
and for those Alumni to re-engage with an
organization that has provided them with
so many opportunities. On this particular Saturday in May,
the two-story building received a fresh coat
of Posse love, and the community could
not have been happier with the
final product.
*
Scholars Pursue Competitive Summer Internships
Erika Nunez, Dickinson Posse 3,
didn’t shy away from putting in the work to
secure a summer internship.
THREE L.A. SCHOLARS WERE HIRED
FOR SUMMER INTERNSHIPS WITH
CAREER PARTNER HEALTH NET, INC.
Saumya Deva, Wisconsin Posse 7, on the job at Discovery
Communications, a Posse Career partner.
She visited the career center on
campus and participated in mock
interviews. Each time she applied to an
internship she painstakingly refined her
resume and tweaked her cover letter.
Having just graduated in May, Erica
was thrilled when she finally received the
call that made it all worthwhile.
“When they called me, I was so
happy,” she says, “because I know I had
put a lot of effort, time and research
into this.”
Erika was hired as a summer intern
at Career Program partner Health Net,
Inc. in production management. She’ll be
working with two other Posse Scholars—
Stephanie Dorsey, Dickinson Posse 4, and
Phuong Dao, Claremont McKenna Posse 1.
See “INTERNSHIPS” on Page iii
Alumni Celebrate with One of Original Five
This June marked the largest Alumni
Induction event Posse Los Angeles has
held to date. The annual event recognizes
the most recent graduating class of Posse
Scholars and officially welcomes them
into the rapidly growing Posse Alumni
Network.
On Saturday, June 12, 2010, over
50 guests gathered at Southwestern Law
School for an induction ceremony and
reception to celebrate the newest class of
graduates.
SHIRLEY EMPHASIZED POSSE’S
CONTINUED PRESENCE IN HER LIFE,
PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY
Posse Los Angeles staff and Alumni
were thrilled to be joined by Shirley
Collado, Vanderbilt Posse 1 (New York)
Alumna, who was the event’s keynote
speaker. She shared her journey with Posse
and emphasized how Posse continues
to be an important presence in her life
personally and professionally.
The Posse National Alumni Advisory
Council (PNAAC) representatives from
Los Angeles—Brentt Baltimore, Claremont
McKenna Posse 3 Alumnus, and Elias
Rangel, Claremont McKenna Posse 2—
were excited to host their first major event
as Alumni representatives on the West
Coast.
“Our goal as PNAAC reps is to ensure
(from left) Brentt Baltimore, CMC Posse 3; Shirley Collado, Vanderbilt Posse 1; and Elias Rangel, CMC Posse 2.
that Posse continues to be a resource
for graduates by fostering a connection
between Posse Alumni, staff and
supporters,” said Brentt.
GRADUATION IS NOT THE
END-ALL WITH POSSE;
IT IS A NEW BEGINNING
Brentt and Elias, who emceed the
ceremony, stressed the importance and
benefits of giving back to Posse. Their
message to their fellow Alumni could not
be truer: “Graduation is not the end-all
with Posse; it is a new beginning.”
*
Tracey Aragon (center), CMC Posse 3, celebrates her
induction into the Posse Alumni Network with her mother
and sister.
“INTERNSHIPS” from Page ii
NEARLY 70 SCHOLARS
HAVE MEANINGFUL WORK
EXPERIENCES THIS SUMMER
Some will travel to Washington, D.C.
and New York and others will work at
Posse Career partners like Kirkland and
Ellis, Disney and MTV.
Scholars have also secured internships
with nonprofit organizations such as Heifer
International and National Farm Workers
Service Union.
Wisconsin Posse 7 Scholar and rising
sophomore Saumya Deva landed an
internship in the Domestic Distribution
department at Posse Career partner
Discovery Communications and was
relieved when her summer search was
over.
“I couldn’t believe that after a long
search, I had finally found something to
get involved in during my first summer as
a college student,” Saumya says. “It sure
did teach me a lot about the
internship process.”
SCHOLARS ARE INTERNING WITH POSSE
CAREER PARTNERS SUCH AS
KIRKLAND & ELLIS, DISNEY AND MTV
The process of securing an internship
relies on a little bit of luck, drive and
determination. Now it’s time for Scholars
to shine in their new roles.
*
POSSE LOS ANGELES SUMMER 2010
Nearly 70 Los Angeles Scholars
have earned internships, full-time jobs or
meaningful work experiences this summer.
These opportunities range from
serving as camp counselors to interns in
global information technology.
iii
“MENTOR” from Page i
a template.”
Daniel is the president of Sigma
Theta Chi, a campus brotherhood that
fosters lifelong friendships, commitment
to community service and networking
opportunities.
Daniel and other members of
Sigma Theta Chi have volunteered
for Uncommon Good, a nonprofit
organization that works to ensure that
the poor have access to quality education
and health care. The fraternity recently
formalized a partnership with the
organization, pairing low-income children
from the local community with mentors
from Sigma Theta Chi.
“One of the main goals we had was
to help build a community invested in
education,” Daniel says. “We started by
going to local schools for reading and
tutoring, then other things came up like
collecting school supplies for students.”
Daniel’s mentee, Rafa, doesn’t have
a strong father figure in his life, so Daniel
works to be a positive role model. Rafa
is entering 10 th grade at Ganesha High
School in Pomona and is excited
about college.
SHARING MY EXPERIENCE WITH KIDS
IS IMPORTANT SO THEY CAN SEE
IT’S POSSIBLE TO SUCCEED
Besides touring Claremont McKenna
and its neighboring colleges, Daniel
and Rafa have attended football games,
movies, and occasionally Daniel’s club
meetings.
Daniel expects to graduate from
Claremont McKenna College next spring
with a degree in Chicano studies. He
says the lack of education about how far
Latinos have come is the reason he wants
to teach or advocate for Chicano studies
curriculum.
los angeles advisory board
CHAIR
POSSE LOS ANGELES SUMMER 2010
Eric Beckman Ares Management LLC
iv
Brentt Baltimore
Anthony Choe
Marc Cohen
Deborah Ruosch Conrad
David K. Henry
Kurt Hocker
Lee Hutter
Roger Lowenstein
Kenneth Moelis
Elias Rangel
Eric Schiffer
Lisa A. Smith
Salvador Torres, Jr. Rajneesh Vig
Craig Wadler
Kevin M. Wernick
Claremont McKenna College Posse Alumnus; Investment Banking Analyst, Credit Suisse
Partner, Brentwood Associates
Senior Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Partner, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP
Senior Vice President, US Bank
Senior Vice President & Division Head, National Wholesale Banking
Union Bank of California
Vice President, JPMorgan
Founder, Executive Director, Los Angele Leadership Academy
CEO, Moelis & Company Holding LLC
Claremont McKenna College Posse Alumnus; Asset Based Finance Auditor II, Bank of the West
CEO, 99¢ Only Stores
Principal, Gardner, Underwood & Bacon LLC
Vice President, Morgan Stanley
Partner, Tennenbaum Capital Partners, LLC
Managing Director, Credit Suisse
Senior Managing Director, VerityPoint
although space precludes listing every donor, we sincerely appreciate each
contribution small or large. Listed below are our donors who gave $2,000 or
more since January 2010:
AT&T California
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Jason W. Reese
Jefferies & Company, Inc.
Rajneesh Vig
Ray E. Wirta
Steven Ganeless
The Ahmanson Foundation
The Carol and James Collins Foundation
The Ken & Julie Moelis Foundation
The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
William Luckett
“I want to spread awareness of
Chicano studies and the Chicano
movement,” he says. “I think that would
spark change in the Mexican-American
community, changing the stereotypes
people have and reducing the fear people
have of immigrants.”
As co-president of the Latino Student
Forum, Daniel holds his heritage close and
helps build a strong Latino community on
CMC’s campus. His strong belief in the
power of solidarity has led him to organize
local day laborers in Rancho Cucamonga.
Daniel was very excited when he
heard the news of President Obama’s gift
to The Posse Foundation, acknowledging
his previous work in community
organizing.
“It gave me new confidence to wear
my Posse badge proudly here on CMC’s
campus,” he says.
*
posse los angeles
partner colleges
& universities
Bucknell University
Dickinson College
Grinnell College
Kalamazoo College
Tulane University
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Wisconsin-Madison
posse los angeles
Tamara Y. Craver, Director
900 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 500
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone: (213) 239-9590
Fax: (213) 239-9440
[email protected]
national office
14 Wall Street, Suite 8A-60
New York, NY 10005
Phone: (212) 405-1691
Fax: (212) 405-1697
[email protected]
visit posse on the web at:
www.possefoundation.org