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When Mahder Etuma arrived to the U.S. at age nine, she already knew college was in her future. She says she owes it to her parents to go to college. They gave up professional careers in Ethiopia when they won a Diversity Visa lottery and relocated the family to America.

"I want to show them it was worth the risk to leave their good jobs behind, to give me and my brother better opportunities in the U.S.," Mahder says. Her parents still work in the hospitality and housekeeping industries.

Mahder Etuma (pictured above, center, with Upward Bound senior academic advisor Tuwanda Jackson and program director, Barlow Flores) is one of two LAYC 2011 Posse scholars along with D’yahna Jones. Mahder and D'yahna join Upward Bound alum, Jason Allen, LAYC's first Posse scholar. Jason is a sophomore at Pepperdine University.

The Posse Foundation awards full-tuition, four-year scholarships to high achieving students from public schools who plan to attend one of the foundation's partner institutions.

Mahder's brother is a GATES Millennium scholar at the University of Virginia. She thought about joining him, but her passion for math and science led her to the neurology program at Bucknell University. Mahder is firm in her pursuit of a double major, then advanced degrees in neuroscience and astronomy, her other passion. She plans to become a renowned neurosurgeon and hopes to inspire other girls in Ethiopia, "like me", she says, to see college as a real possibility.  Foremost, Mahder wants to achieve a high level of success to support her parents in the future. "I am truly thankful for what you (her parents) did," the 17-year-old scholar says.

Upward Bound is a program funded by the Department of Education, designed to prepare students for post-secondary education by offering academic skills development, college counseling and support, and motivation in order to excel in all aspects of their lives. Click here to read more about LAYC's Upward Bound program or to apply.

Stay tuned for another Posse scholar in the next Youth Spotlight story, featuring D'yahna Jones.

Watch NBC's coverage of the Posse scholars ceremony, with comments from Mahder.

Support youth like Mahder by making a tax-deductible donation to LAYC today.

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