Barbara Goleman Senior High students Gabriella Sallai and David Rodriguez were nominated and selected as Posse Scholars for their academic and extra curricular achievements. The scholarships, four-years and full tuition, valued at a quarter of a million dollars, was awarded to 60 out of 1,300 nominated students across South Florida.
Sallai will be attending Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvia and Rodriguez will be attending Syracuse University in New York.
The Posse scholarship is awarded to students that have demonstrated leadership qualities as well as a high potential to be successful at a 4-year university and more importantly, make a profound impact on campus upon their arrival.
The Posse Foundation, founded in 1989, prides itself on awarding scholarships to students who may be overlooked by traditional college selection processes. Scholars are carefully selected and trained to serve as catalysts for community development. Scholars are placed in supportive, multi-cultural teams, or “Posses” of 10 students.
Sallai’s extra curricular activities included her roles as Vice President of the National Honor Society, Vice President of Mu Alpha Theta, member of the Science Honor Society and a member of the Class of 2015 club.
Rodriguez is Student Government Association vice president, co-founder and vice president of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, secretary for The National Honor Society, Miami Lakes United Soccer Club member, member of the Science Club and member of the Science National Honor Society.
Sallai hopes to focus on fields like mathematics and psychology and Rodriguez plans to major in biomedical engineering, environmental engineering or biology.
For both families the news of the scholarship win came bittersweet. Sallai’s mother, though incredibly proud would have to face her daughter’s departure to a far off state, and Rodriguez’s win provided a much needed celebration in the midst of his father’s passing late last year.
“My father was my best friend, my role model, and the one I looked up to the most. His unending knowledge and wise words are two things that I will always keep close to my heart. He could not live to see me earn the Posse Scholarship, but I know he’s watching and protecting me from up above,” said Rodriguez. “I wish to achieve great things and become the great man he always said I would be.”
With the world at their feet, Sallai and Rodriguez don’t yet know the details of their futures, but both hope to put their opportunities and talents forward in cultivating a better world.
“I want to make a difference in the world,” said Sallai. “Even if I touch one person’s life and change their life somehow, I will feel accomplished.