Riverwood Seniors Awarded Full Scholarships From Posse Foundation

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — Four Riverwood International Charter School seniors America Betancourt-Guevera, Jermyle Jones, Tyara Thompson and Zion Vital were awarded four year, full tuition scholarships from the Posse Foundation. The Posse Foundation identifies public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who may be overlooked by traditional college selection processes.

Started in 1989, The Posse Foundation extends to these students the opportunity to pursue personal and academic excellence by placing them in supportive, multicultural teams—Posses—of ten students. Posse Scholars graduate at a rate of 90 percent and make a visible difference on campus and throughout their professional careers.

America Betancourt-Guevera is an International Baccalaureate Diploma Candidate and has been on the Principal's Honor Roll for four years. She is the Vice President of Community Service for the Hispanic Organization Promoting Education (HOPE) and is currently participating in the school’s internship program. She will attend the College of Wooster and plans to major in International Relations. Betancourt-Guevera hopes to join the Peace Corps and has aspirations to earn a law degree.

“Applying to the Posse scholarship was stressful and highly competitive but I learned a lot about interviewing both in group and individually," Betancourt-Guevera said. "I believe that just being genuine about who you are and where you come from can open a lot of doors for you.”

Jermyle Jones, who will attend Texas A&M to study Geophysics said, “After the third round interview, I got a call from the Posse foundation telling me that I had just received the four year full tuition scholarship to Texas A&M. I was speechless, and I told my mother and she screamed. It was a very exciting and heartfelt moment for me and my family.”

He is an Honor Roll student, Varsity Basketball player and has volunteered at the 50 Shades of Pink Foundation, Divine Perfections Love Outreach Foundation and Junior Raiders Basketball Camps.

Tyara Thompson said, “It was an experience from which I learned a lot about myself and my capabilities, as in every interview I was challenged to highlight areas of my character that I don’t always broadcast.”

She is an AP and IB student and plans to continue her volleyball career at the College of Wooster. She is the Co-President for the Riverwood Black Students Union and the co-founder of RICS United. She plans to major in psychology or Neuroscience and pursue a career in the field of Neuropsychology.

Zion Vital will attend the College of Wooster where he hopes to study in the College of Business with a major in Economics. He is a member of Beta Club and the Community Service Club and is an Honor Roll student. He currently takes dual enrollment classes at Georgia State University and serves as an intern at Kleber & Associates. In his spare time, he runs his own photography business. He said, “I plan to become an entrepreneur and become my own boss.”