She’s Got What It Takes: Success Academy Scholar Athlete of the Year
Success Academy – July 6, 2018
What do track and field runners at Duke, Stanford, and Georgetown have in common? They are all members of some of the most competitive collegiate teams in the nation — and they all have to balance intense training with rigorous academic workloads. Success Academy coach Ozzie Henderson thinks he has the next big star for top collegiate programs like these — someone who thrives both on the track and in the classroom: sophomore Ronn’e Bailey.
Doing the Math on Success Academy’s First Graduating Class
Success Academy – June 19, 2018
If you do the math, factoring in what the WNYC data showed about attrition for elementary, middle, and high school grades, a hypothetical group of 72 first-graders at a typical district school serving kids through Grade 12 would be expected to have about 11 students remaining by the time they were ready to graduate. Compare that to the Success total: 23 students remaining, 16 of them graduating seniors.
Success Academy Seniors: 100% College Bound!
Success Academy – June 8, 2018
On Thursday, June 7, our very first class of high school seniors graduated at the stunning Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, 100% of them college-bound, many with full scholarships.
Fine Art and Secret Staircases: Success Academy Goes to Chatsworth House
Imani Johnson – January 23, 2018
This November, Imani Johnson and her classmates from SA High School of the Liberal Arts were invited to visit a home in Derbyshire, England. Step inside their journey to England and find out more about our experience at Chatsworth House!
What My SAT Score Means to Me
Hazel Murray – October 17, 2017
Many people understand that you need strong scores to get into elite colleges, but they don’t realize how much our education system is flawed — that it often stacks the odds against minority students. So the top score isn’t always what’s the most important. Together, my class and I achieved an average score that was far above the rest of the country’s. It wasn’t just me who took part in this achievement — it was all of us.
Notes to the Principal’s Office
Andrew Malone – August 29, 2017
One of our scholars was selected as one of just 80 participants (out of 2,400 applicants) for the prestigious Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES) program at MIT. High School of the Liberal Arts Principal Andy Malone shares two emails from the scholar recounting this truly special experience.
Poetry and Transformations in Ireland
Autumn Swepson – August 3, 2017
In July, Success Academy Scholar Autumn Swepson traveled to Ireland with Putney Student Travel: Writing in Ireland. This unique travel experience brought together carefully selected student writers to explore the literary roots and storytelling traditions of Ireland, all while improving their own craft.
Exploring Europe’s Past — For My Scholars’ Futures
Natasha Venner – August 1, 2017
Success Academy sent HSLA world history teacher Natasha Venner to the prestigious Gilder Lehrman Teaching Seminar at Oxford University this summer. History at Success is all about active engagement and using a rich variety of texts and techniques. The seminar was an incredible chance for her to bolster her skills and spark new ideas for the fall.
Skip Pouring the Coffee; SA Interns Grow as Professionals — in High School
Frances Litvak – June 8, 2017
Current and former Merrill Lynch interns offer inside looks at their experience, while another Success Academy student shares what he learned interning with 300 Entertainment.
College Admissions: What Every High School Scholar — and Parent — Should Know
Danielle Jakob – May 31, 2017
On Saturday, April 29th, Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts hosted its inaugural College Admissions Case Studies Program. Danielle Jakob created this event for our founding scholars and their families — now in 10th and 11th grades — which placed them in an admissions officer’s seat for the day.
From Solving Puzzles to Setting Personal Bests — My Scholars Made Their Mark on the Nation’s Largest Track and Field Event
Ozzie Henderson – May 5, 2017
This past weekend, nine of my scholars from the Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts traveled to Philadelphia to take part in the Penn Relay Races — a track and field event that has taken place annually since 1895.
A Summer of Possibility: SA High Schoolers Earn $100k+ in Scholarships for Summer Programs
Twink Williams Burns – April 11, 2017
Through the work of our Manager of Pre-College Programs and our College Access and Persistence Team, our scholars have already secured spots in 35 different summer programs, across the U.S. and abroad.
One Job, Two Hats: The Dual Mission of HSLA Teachers
Mona Alsaidi – March 1, 2017
The best part of my job doesn’t take place in the classroom. It happens during the one-on-one meetings I have twice a week, with the ten scholars I’ve advised, some for the past two years.
My Summer Sewing Up Wounds
Suneil Jeter – September 12, 2016
Ever since I was five years old, I have loved the idea of working in the medical field — it’s been my dream.
Capital Connections: What I Learned from a Week With Future Latino Leaders
Lexi Torres – August 9, 2016
This summer, I had a life-changing experience at the Future Latino Leaders Law Camp at American University in Washington, D.C.
A Summer of Self-Discovery
Danielle Jakob – August 9, 2016
This summer, Success Academy high school scholars explored the Canadian wilderness, created digital animation from scratch, practiced medicine, and studied psychology, law, and art at prestigious schools and programs across the United States. As one of five college access and persistence counselors at the high school, I helped many of these bright young men and women navigate the application process to elite summer programs and submit their first high-stakes applications.
Success Academy Scholars Reflect on Martin Luther King, Jr.
Success Academy – January 15, 2016
More than 50 years after his “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., continues to inspire the work we do at Success Academy. His message of equality, justice, and opportunity for all is as fresh and powerful as it was a half-century ago.
In My Book Club, I Discovered the Power of Talking Back
Leeajah Ebron – January 13, 2016
The book discusses class and education, violence in relationships, race, and feminism — all issues that I wanted to learn more about. I was eager to learn how to talk back about these issues when all my life I’ve heard that talking back is disrespectful.
Global Warming, Chocolate, and Making Small Changes
Nashatay Crawford – January 11, 2016
Suddenly, the environmental issues that we were studying and discussing in class became more real and pressing — and that made learning more fun and exciting.
What A High School Student Thought of Hamilton
Lexi Torres – November 17, 2015
In October, my classmates and I earned free tickets from our school to see the Broadway musical Hamilton, which tells the story of Alexander Hamilton and the other founders of American democracy.
Our Trip to Broadway: Young Rebels Out to Change the World, Fierce Rap Battles, then a Rare Treat (Our Talk with Hamilton’s Creator and Cast)
Colleen Stewart – October 27, 2015
On Sept. 30, I had the incredible pleasure of accompanying 132 Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts scholars and staff to a matinee performance of the groundbreaking Broadway musical Hamilton.
A Life-Changing Trip to Greece
Marc Meyer – June 30, 2015
For more decades than I choose to remember, I have taught history to unsuspecting university and high school students. I have illuminated history’s themes and issues through exciting and thought-provoking texts and artistic and architectural images. My travels have taken me to more than 20 countries on five continents. But until a month ago, I […]
Bringing A Great Musical (and Grit) to the Stage
Courtney Edwards – May 14, 2015
This Friday and Saturday, 22 scholars from Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts will perform in the school’s musical production of Schoolhouse Rock Live! It’s a show that follows a nervous new teacher on his first day with students.
I SLAMMED the EXAM. My Classmates Can, Too.
Elyjah Pellew – April 10, 2015
In case you missed this year’s SLAM the EXAM rally, one of the highlights was the motivational speech of 15-year-old Elyjah Pellew.