Olivia Woods, a Morton West High School senior, will be receiving a four-year, full-tuition POSSE scholarship to the university of her choice. Woods has selected Oberlin College–the prestigious and private college in Oberlin, Ohio–as the institution where she will pursue a degree in the medical field. The scholarship was awarded to Woods by the POSSE Foundation, a nonprofit organization with a mission to identify, recruit and train high school students to become the leaders of tomorrow. Woods’ strong leadership skills emerged from a pool of 2,500 student applicants who were all competing for the generous scholarship. After a rigorous selection process consisting of applications, interactive group interviews, and one-on-one interviews; she was chosen to make up the “posse” of 111 high school students from the Chicagoland area who will be attending college in the fall free of charge.
“I was in shock for about a day. Then I freaked out and danced with my mom,” describes Woods of the moment she found out she won the scholarship. Being the oldest of three siblings, it’s obvious that Woods’ is a natural-born leader, even helping her track and field team achieve state level recognition last year at a meet. Her involvement in the many extracurricular activities available in her Morton High School District played a pivotal role in landing her the scholarship. “I’m on the track and field team, volleyball team, a member of the National Honors Society and Freshmen Mentor Program, and a student ambassador,” says Woods, noting her strong passion for running.
J. Sterling Morton High School District 201 provides quality educational experiences that challenge and enable more than 8,000 students from the communities of Berwyn, Cicero, Forest View, Lyons, McCook, and Stickney as lifelong learners to be productive and responsible members of the global community. The district’s Board of Education is comprised of Board President Jeff Pesek, Vice President Kasumba “Kal” Lwanga, Secretary Jessica Jaramillo-Flores, and members Mark Kraft, Margaret Kelly, Michael Iniquez, and Vincent LaPaglia. Visit District 201 online at www.Morton201.org.
