Imani Johnson, Bard College

Senior Imani Johnson is a 2024 Posse Scholar and will be attending Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. 

Johnson currently serves as the president of Midtown’s Drama Club, as well as Midtown Votes. Her voting activism has received recognition from the national organization “When We All Vote” and former first lady Michelle Obama. However, Johnson only considered applying for college when she was approached by counselor Lamar Young about the Posse scholarship. 

“I often felt like the college application process was very privileged and very unfair for communities that don’t have resources,” Johnson said. “But Posse gave me a way to show my skills and show my personality. Nobody asked me what my class rank was or what my GPA was. Every time I felt like I didn’t do enough, the trainers and the staff would email me afterward and say, ‘Thank you for your vulnerability,’ or make jokes with me when I felt anxious.”

When Posse staff encouraged Johnson to research every school, she fell in love with Bard College. 

“Bard was third on my list, and then I found out that they had a civic engagement approach,” Johnson said. “I researched their website and stalked every single Instagram account, and I just fell in love. There is genuinely not a school like Bard. [When] I went and toured, I remember pulling up to the campus and walking in and seeing everybody dressed like me and seeing people who looked like me and had majors like me. I’ve always felt like I’ve stuck out like a sore thumb [but] it was just like, ‘I’m home, and I’m going to thrive here.”

Johnson plans on studying poetry, as well as mind, brain and behavior. Not only does she think Bard’s programs will help her thrive in college, but also the social foundation she will consistently have with her posse. 

“I’m looking forward to already knowing a good amount of people,” Johnson said. “I would say the biggest thing for me is my support system and my community. [While] the idea of going to college in a different state is so jarring for me and a little bit uncomfortable, already knowing that I’m going to have a core ten people with me is very, very [validating].”

Johnson believes the resources Posse provides will help her beyond college and support her career goals. 

“I want to do something creatively at my core, and I know that Posse is going to help me with that because they looked past my academic ability,” Johnson said. “I’m a fine student. I’ve always just done okay, but I have the heart to go the extra mile, and Posse looks at that, too. I know that this is the right fit for me because I’ve been able to shine through them.”