Library volunteer awarded full tuition scholarship

The Library System is proud to work with over 900 teen volunteers every year who provide programs and assist with book sales, clerical tasks and shelving. Our youth service librarians offer teen programs on college applications and scholarships across the System and through eCampus. Aerionna Stephenson is a Palmetto Library teen volunteer and a recent graduate from Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School. In January, she received a full tuition academic merit scholarship from The Posse Foundation, Inc., a national scholarship program that started in New York in 1989 and has now branched into 23 states, including Georgia. According to www.possefoundation.org, “Posse identifies public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who may be overlooked by traditional college selection processes. Posse extends to these students the opportunity to pursue personal and academic excellence by placing them in supportive, multicultural teams-Posses-of 10 students.” The program’s approach has proven successful with a 90% graduation rate. The scholarship has a three round interview process and while 1,500 students were nominated in Atlanta, only 60 students were chosen, including Aerionna, to receive the full tuition, four year scholarship. In a few weeks, she will join 900+ other first year students attending Brandeis University which is a private research university nine miles west of Boston located in Waltham, Massachusetts. We are truly grateful to Aerionna for serving over 50 hours this past year at the Friends of the Palmetto Library Book Store and wish her all the best in college.

If you or a teen you know is interested in donating time and talent at the library, please go to our website to print, complete and return a teen volunteer application to vol.services@fultoncountyga.gov or call 404-730-1963.

Aerionna Stephenson (middle of the back row) poses with her Atlanta Posse at their Induction Ceremony. The Posse meets weekly January-August to participate in leadership workshops and will travel to Brandeis together to embark upon a four year journey.