Second semester of high school can be an exciting time for seniors. Getting accepted into college and starting to focus on graduation can finally make it seem like all of their hard work has paid off, and for senior Sam Wilson, the work definitely has. As a result of Wilson’s exemplary school work and community engagement, she was recently named one of the recipients of the prestigious Posse scholarship.

As a Posse scholar, Wilson will be able to study at her top school, Bard College, to pursue a degree in Global International Studies, with all of the costs covered. This scholarship is highly coveted and requires a series of interviews in order to be considered. Perhaps one of the most unique parts of this award is that Wilson will be attending college along with nine other Posse scholars. The idea is to give the recipients a support group that will help them be the best students and leaders in their community.

Wilson is an IB DP student, and when she is not attending a Posse meeting or studying for school, she is playing lacrosse, going to the Environmental Club meeting, helping out at the Key Club, or doing secretarial work for SGA. While it is a lot to balance, Wilson excels at them all. “It is definitely challenging to figure out how to balance your schedule, but in the end it’s very rewarding,” said Wilson.

Wilson found out that she was chosen to be a Posse scholar this January. The entire process included three daunting rounds of interviews: a group interview, a two on one interview, and a group interview with the finalists. “It was a long process, but it was so exciting when they called me to tell me that I made the final cut,” said Wilson. “I kept screaming ‘I’m going to college!’”

While her time at North Atlanta is coming to an end, it is clear that Sam Wilson has great things ahead of her. She has proven herself to be one of the best and the brightest, and her path to college is just the beginning.