Congratulations to the 18 seniors at Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts–Manhattan selected to become the third cohort of the SA Ruth and Norman Rales Scholars Program! This prestigious program is a partnership between Success Academy and the Ron Brown Scholar Program, fostered and funded by the Rales Foundation. SA Rales Scholars will receive not only financial support — a $40,000 scholarship over four years of college — but also personalized support through access to mentors, leadership programming, and career development, made possible through the Ron Brown Scholar Program partnership. The Rales Foundation has committed to support up to 125 SA Rales Scholars over the next five years.
Established in 1996 in memory of the first African American U.S. Secretary of Commerce, the Ron Brown Scholar Program brings 27 years of experience in college access and persistence and professional mentorship, as evidenced by a 99% graduation rate for its more than 5,300 scholars from the nation’s most prestigious colleges and universities.
Rabiat Ahmed
Graduate of SA Bronx 1 and SA Bronx 1 MS
Rabiat is determined to break barriers in women's health through a career in medicine. She's already made progress by devoting her time to her passions and interests: Volunteering in hospitals and shadowing an OB-GYN, taking a two-year pathophysiology and medical microbiology course, and participating in an environmental sustainability course for a semester at NYU. Her leadership and contribution to the SA HSLA community go beyond academic excellence. Rabiat inspires those around her with her volunteerism — particularly focused on fighting hunger in her community. She's a member of the Senior Committee and the Yearbook Committee and served as an SA Ambassador. Rabiat will continue pursuing medical activism at the University of Pennsylvania next fall.
Alexander Arriaga
Graduate of SA Bed-Stuy 1 and SA Bed-Stuy MS
A proud mentor and beacon of collaboration, Alex contributes to the SA community in ways spanning far beyond the walls of the high school. Alex provides mentorship and tutoring for middle schoolers as a SA No Adults Needed tutor and helps his peers with creative ideation and revision through the SA HSLA Writing Center. As a three-time Summer Experience Fellow, he provided support and encouragement for the rising class of Fellows, hoping to leave a legacy of collaboration and leadership behind. Expanding on his passion and talent for chess, he gives young children an introduction to chess that goes beyond the board. Always looking to break his own boundaries, Alex challenged himself with AP and Honors coursework. Alex is sure to create another supportive community at Baruch College in the fall!
Max Crespo-Ruiz
Graduate of SA Bronx 1 and SA Bronx 1 MS
Max has his hands in just about everything — from pursuing all things business to being an AP Macroeconomics TA, and working as a camp counselor for 25 fourth graders. He consistently proves to be a self-motivated leader. Max inspired his peers throughout the college application process as a CAP Captain, speaking at the upperclassmen orientation and providing peer feedback throughout his junior and senior years. His portfolio is impressive as it showcases his desire to seek out new challenges and opportunities through a multitude of AP courses, extensive volunteer work, and even a top-ten finish at Chess Nationals. As a first-generation college student, Max will attend Northeastern University where he plans to continue challenging himself as a business administration and economics major.
Awa Diop
Graduate of SA Harlem 2 and SA Harlem North West MS
Awa is not one to shy away from getting involved — she's a bassist in the band, and a member of the Yearbook Committee, Student Mentorship Club, Hair Club, and Too Sturdy, a student-run dance club to name a few. Finding passion in all things creative, Awa also took on a leadership role as Captain of Studio Squad, SA's photography club, capturing life and joy at SA behind the lens. Her commitment to excellence is evident in all things she sets her mind to; Awa has consistently performed at the top of her class and challenged herself with a myriad of APs. After exploring STEM through laborious coursework in high school and serving as a teacher's assistant for AP Calculus, Awa decided to pursue a major in computer science at Colgate University next fall!
Brianna Edwards
Graduate of SA Bronx 1 and SA Bronx 1 MS
Brianna's kindness, compassion, and dependability are unmatched, as she tirelessly works to help improve the community. Brianna volunteers as a tutor, for the Girl Scouts, at a local soup kitchen, as a SA Ambassador, and mentors younger scholars. She scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs, led the SA debate team to victory at the Harvard National Forensics Tournament, and juggled several AP courses along the way. Last summer, Brianna participated in a summer fellowship at Boston University, helping her to learn more about modern medicine, which led her to help guide underclassmen on the Summer Experience Selection Committee. She plans to major in psychiatry and social justice at Tufts University and will become a psychiatrist.
Hamlet Espinal
Graduate of SA Harlem 4 and SA Harlem Central MS
Hamlet is an inventive scholar with passions for civil engineering, architecture, and robotics. Hamlet is also a talented musician; he's a member of many ensembles and his own band. He's also known for instrument repairs and even custom-built his own bass guitar. Hamlet achieved the highest marks in his AP exams, including a 5 in AP Calculus, and earned the College Board AP Scholar with Honor Award. He studied nanotechnology and 3D design in biomedical engineering during a rigorous summer program at the University of Rochester. He is also the secretary and co-founder of the SA Finance and Business Club. Born in the Dominican Republic, Hamlet is a dual citizen, fluent in Spanish and English. He'll take his many interests and community contributions to RIT next year.
Skye Flores
Graduate of SA Bed-Stuy 1 and SA Bed-Stuy MS
In addition to her perfect 4.0 GPA, Skye is an exceptionally insightful and compassionate student leader. At Success Academy, Skye's known as a track star (and mentor to younger scholars), the president of Beauty and Brains, secretary of the Gay Straight Alliance, a member of student council, a teacher's assistant in precalculus and tutor for SA No Adults Needed. Skye has a take-charge attitude that puts others at ease, effectively managing group projects (even over Zoom!) and her many co-curricular activities. Skye has a profound passion for medicine and science, and is committed to studying bioethics on a pre-med track. Skye said she's pursuing a career in medicine at Duke University next year "because medicine is the most powerful way to help people, especially communities of color."
Ilham Idriss
Graduate of SA Harlem 3 and SA Harlem East MS
Aiming to be a positive role model for her younger siblings by becoming a first-generation college graduate, Ilham is extraordinarily active at school and within her community. She founded the Muslim Student Association to create a safe space for her peers to practice Islam freely and educate others about the religion. Ilham also volunteered at S.E.A.L, a nonprofit providing therapeutic enrichment programs for NYC children and youth. And, as a dedicated dancer in Afrobeats, her contributions to the choreography helped to create an unforgettable experience at a sold-out show. Outside of SA, Ilham is involved at her local mosque: teaching the Quran to children, and helping to prepare and serve West African dishes during Ramadan. In the fall, Ilham plans to study economics and entrepreneurship at Tufts.
Geah Jean Baptiste
Graduate of SA Bed-Stuy 1 and SA Bed-Stuy MS
A role model for all girls who play chess, Geah encapsulates what it means to be hardworking, driven, and kind. Not only is Geah a chess prodigy — she's won multiple national titles, was Chess Captain for three years, and received the Daniel Feinberg Success in Chess Award — but she's also founded the first and only network-wide chess club for girls at SA. While her excellence in chess has opened doors for her, Geah has continuously performed at the top of her class with a perfect GPA, maintained a course load of AP and STEM courses, and studied biology and molecular engineering at the University of Chicago through a Summer Experience, to name a few. Geah received offers from some of the most prestigious universities, but ultimately decided on being the first SA scholar to attend Harvard University!
Tasnim Moumouni
Graduate of SA Bronx 1 and SA Bronx 1 MS
Tasnim is a leader among both her family and her peers. Hailing from two Togolese immigrants, she puts family at the forefront by spending her time educating her family in Togo, dispelling myths on the latest medical developments, and tutoring her younger brothers in the Bronx. At Success Academy, Tasnim was elected to be a member of the student council, representing the student body and giving a voice to their concerns. While balancing being a scholar advocate with an impressive portfolio of APs, and performing at the top of her class, Tasnim also managed to delve into her interests of science. Upon completing (and acing!) a neurology course at Columbia University, she further cemented her determination to become a physician.
Abdoul Ndiongue
Graduate of SA Harlem 2 and SA Harlem North West MS
Abdoul's never been one to back down from a challenge — whether it be in the form of rigorous AP courses, Columbia University advanced STEM classes, or even independent endeavors, Abdoul leads by example. He was CEO of SA's first and only finance and business club, and chief technology officer of a peer tutoring club, SA No Adults Needed. Abdoul also managed to juggle being captain of the first SA DECA charter, and president of the robotics club, RoboTek. Abdoul consistently takes risks and embraces change whenever possible in both his academic and extracurricular undertakings. In the fall, he'll bring this inspiring ambition with him to Carnegie Mellon University, where he's sure to find new, bold roads to take.
Chelsea Nti
Graduate of SA Bronx 2 and SA Bronx 2 MS
Balancing an impressive array of STEM and AP courses with multiple after-school jobs, Chelsea still finds a way to lead her peers in an effort to follow her passion of giving back. Chelsea founded Helping Hands, an organization tasked with addressing hunger and building community involvement for those in need. She also led tutoring sessions with young 5th grade scholars, and organized a youth group at her church as a Church Youth Leader. Chelsea is an avid learner and is passionate about using her voice to make a difference — everything she does keeps these notions at the top of mind. She finds fulfillment in helping others; that has pushed her to move into the medical field. Chelsea plans to become a physician's assistant one day, and her journey will begin next fall at Tufts University.
Janell Prince
Graduate of SA Harlem 5 and SA Harlem North Central MS
Always eager to learn and grow, Janell is also passionate about giving back, both to her peers and younger generations. An active member of her community, Janell spends her Wednesdays after school tending to a class of toddlers at her local community daycare. As a college cohort captain, she took it upon herself to create "Students 4 Students," a group dedicated to helping her peers out with the college application process. She's also a hard worker in the classroom, as she's taken five AP classes and has also participated in Barnard's pre-college program. Janell plans on studying international relations and political science at Northeastern University in the fall to further her work in social justice and honor her aunt, Mathi.
Sekou Samassi
Graduate of SA Bronx 2 and SA Bronx 2 MS
Sekou is a driven individual who has always made an effort to improve his community, including tutoring sixth graders and serving as a peer mentor at HSLA-Manhattan. He's also played a major part in the high school as part of the Senior Committee, SA No Adults Needed, and the SA Ambassador program. Sekou is the founder of the Future Leaders Mentorship Program, which guides New York City high school students in forming their own student governments. Academically, he's always challenged himself. Sekou was one of the first students at SA HSLA to complete Georgia Tech's computer science courses asynchronously, and he also took STEM Academy electives in pathophysiology and microbiology. This fall, Sekou will attend Northeastern University to study computer science and minor in economics.
Amadou Seybou
Graduate of SA Bronx 1 and SA Bronx 1 MS
Amadou is an active member of his community, both in and out of school. He volunteers at his local mosque, the Unity Race Organization, where he is an intern-canvasser, and at school, where he aims to be a beacon of joy to his classmates and teachers. Amadou helps with countless clubs and teams within the school, including the Too Sturdy dance team, for which he helped manage tryouts. Having taken seven AP classes, Amadou is never afraid to challenge himself academically and even took both AP Biology and AP Chemistry during his senior year. He takes the most pride in creating and improving the communities around him to make sure that their members feel safe. This fall, Amadou will attend Northeastern University, with aspirations to be a pharmacist and entrepreneur in his native country, Niger.
Muniratu Tawfiq
Graduate of SA Harlem 2 and SA Harlem North West MS
Courageous and outgoing, Muniratu's list of accomplishments isn't a short one. A Northeast champion and three-time All-American in track and field, Muniratu also took six AP classes and enjoys tutoring younger scholars in her free time. As the captain of the track team and a member of the Senior Committee, SA Ambassadors, and SA No Adults Needed, she has always been proud to represent SA HSLA-Manhattan. Muniratu hopes to one day represent victims of crime through her passion for social justice, which she explored through the New York Times Law Program. This fall, Muniratu will attend Williams College, majoring in psychology with a concentration in justice and law to help those in her community.
Khadydiatou Thiam
Graduate of SA Harlem 2 and SA Harlem West MS
Khadydiatou is a force to be reckoned with. Between her perfect 4.0 GPA, her six AP classes, her mastery of debate, and her work as a teacher's assistant in AP Calculus, she has shined academically and then some. She's used her skills to help her community, having helped dozens of students through calculus and helped novice debaters find their voice. A founding member of the SA Ambassadors Program, Khadydiatou has also served as the treasurer of the Student Council, where she's used her public speaking and critical thinking skills to advocate for her fellow classmates. She developed a passion for coding through three years in the STEM Academy and now hopes to take that interest to another level, as she will attend Johns Hopkins University in the fall to pursue a degree in computer science.
Fatoumata Toure
Graduate of SA Harlem 5 and SA Harlem North Central MS
Ever-active in the school community, Fatoumata has always made an effort to make the people around her feel supported and represented. Sporting a perfect 4.0 GPA, Fatoumata has balanced a course load of AP and Honors classes with being an SA No Adults Needed tutor, a teaching assistant, the founder of the Afrobeats dance club, 'Feet in Motion,' and the president of the Senior Committee. For the past decade, she's been a part of "Power of You Teens," a female-empowerment organization meant to provide mentoring resources to lower-income women and girls in New York City. Having modeled for brands including Target and Amazon and performed in off-Broadway plays, Fatoumata has served as an inspiration for young black women in the industry. Determined to change the world, Fatoumata will attend Brown University in the fall.
