Kagna Hou is a first-year student at DePauw University from Chicago, Illinois. Kagna is Cambodian as a well as a woman; therefore, she adds to the diverse and inclusive nature of DePauw, rather than fitting your typical white frat male stigma that often is associated with college. She is also a Posse Scholar from Chicago. Now for those of you who might not be familiar with Posse, essentially it is a “small, diverse group of talented students” that DePauw describes as “carefully selected and trained” and “a catalyst for increased individual and community development.” This scholarship is hard to get because the process is very extensive and complex and is meant to “help promote cross-cultural communication.” DePauw first started partnering with the Posse Foundation in 1996 and offers scholarships in Chicago and New York.
Her Campus: How did you find out about Posse?
Kagna Hou: My oldest brother is also a Posse Scholar here at DePauw, and my other brother also went through the process of becoming a Posse Scholar but actually became a Bonner Scholar instead. So I have always known about the Posse Scholarship because of my family.
HC: Do you like having a core group on campus?
KH: Yes, it was nice coming here and already knowing people while also having a support system going through what you are going through.
HC: What’s your favorite aspect about Posse?
KH: I love the community that it has brought me, because it has allowed me to be able to meet so many new people.
HC: What was the process to get in like?
KH: The process was over six to seven months. You had to go through three rounds of interviews that typically had a month or two between them. However, each round was its own stage, so for each interview you had to be called back to continue the process.
HC: Is Posse why you came to DePauw, or were there other reasons?
KH: Posse was the main reason I came to DePauw, because it was such a good opportunity.
HC: How has Posse made you grow as a person?
KH: Posse has opened my eyes in seeing everybody’s different stories and roots. Also, despite everyone being different, our personalities mixed, and we were able to help each other to work on our strengths and weaknesses.
HC: Is Posse a big time commitment?
KH: Posse takes up a good amount of my time. However, it is not insanely overwhelming like one might think. It is just the right amount of time to also be able to keep up with everything else going on with school.