An Interview with Briyant Frimpong, Brandeis Posse Scholarship Recipient
On January 10th, Michael Morales from LION’s Development and Marketing team sat down for an interview with LION senior Briyant Frimpong. Briyant is the 5th LION Posse Scholar in the history of our school. The Posse Scholarship is also the second award Briyant has received this school year (see “A Special Roar Out to Our Academic Leaders at LION”). The Posse Foundation identifies and trains “positive, talented, motivated, and ambitious young people” through the formation of Posses, supportive, multicultural groups of 10 scholars. Each Posse Scholar is matched with a partner college, which provides them with mentoring and full-tuition leadership scholarships. Posse Scholars must be nominated by their school and demonstrate both academic potential and leadership in their school, community, or family. Posse Scholars have a 90% college graduation rate.
Briyant has been a part of the LION Pride since 3rd grade and is the brother of 4th Grader Jayden and 10th Grader Michael, also LION students.
Read more about Briyant’s National African American Recognition Award here.
Michael Morales: What does receiving the Posse Scholarship mean to you?
Briyant Frimpong: I know there were over 3000 applicants, so I feel like it’s a really big accomplishment for me. Being the oldest in my family, I’m setting the example for my younger brothers, so it’s very impactful for me and my family.
MM: What was the application process like?
BF: There were three phases to the application process. So, in the first part I just had to fill out some basic information about myself, any extracurriculars I was a part of, and my GPA. Then I had an interview with about 100 other applicants. The second part was a one-on-one interview. The third part included an interview with the school the Posse Foundation identified as my match.
MM: What are you looking forward to at Brandeis University?
BF: I’m looking forward to the Computer Science Program. I’m also looking forward to the environment. I know Brandeis is really big on empowerment and standing up for what you believe in. So, I’m just looking forward to that supportive and impactful environment.
MM: How did you choose Brandeis University?
BF: I know I’m interested in STEM, and that’s something I want to do in my future. Brandeis was one of the schools that I targeted for that reason.
MM: Was Brandeis the only school you were offered, or were there multiple schools to choose from?
BF: Yeah, I had multiple schools to choose from, but Brandeis was at the top of the list. I was on multiple waitlists, so I had to reorganize my list, but Brandeis remained my top choice.
MM: Do you have any advice for future seniors applying for the same scholarship?
BF: My advice is just to stay consistent with everything you do inside and outside of school. I feel like consistency takes you a long way. Stay consistent, and work hard towards whatever you want.
