High School
Cracking the Code to College Acceptance
3…2…1…Submit! In the fall of 2022, Success Academy seniors gathered together for what is one of the most exciting — and nerve-wracking — moments of the year: when they submit their college applications. The College Access & Preparedness team hosts the submission party for every graduating class; CAP counselors guide seniors through identifying “best-fit” colleges, cultivating impressive... Read more
Seeing School Through A Different Lens
Can photography help us become better people? Rasheed Williams, photography teacher at Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts—Manhattan, is passionate about the answer. That’s why he created Studio Squad, the school’s first-ever photography club, which encourages scholars to not only embrace their creative side but also their leadership skills. Created for all experience... Read more
What Changed? One Scholar’s Turnaround
In August 2021, as my peers were beginning their first year of high school, I was out of the country with no way to come back and join them in time. I missed the first unit of all my freshman year classes, and I was pretty much convinced that I was not going to be... Read more
Dancing out of my comfort zone
I am a dancer. I like to say: “Anything dance, sign me up.” That’s what originally drew my interest to the Steps on Broadway program through Success Academy’s Dual-Enrollment Visual and Performing Arts opportunity. As a sophomore at SA HSLA Harlem, I am able to take courses that strengthen my technique in ballet, jazz, hip... Read more
New Friends, New Experiences, New Skills: Scholars Reflect on The High School Summer Prep Fellowship
When SA HSLA-Manhattan scholars Abiola Ilesanmi, Tyrone Stevenson, and Octoba Grant were first accepted to the SA High School Summer Prep Fellowship, their reactions were a mixture of excitement and fear. “I had never even been to a sleepover before,” shared Abiola, “I did not think my parents would allow me to go away for... Read more
The Comeback Kids — Scholars Revive Theater Tech Post-Covid
Rosemary Sena and Devin Jenkins-Drumgold joined the Theater Tech Crew at Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts—Manhattan as freshmen in 2019, starting first as “runners.” The runner role helps scholars discover the aspects they love the most about Theater Tech, which manages the set design, lighting, audio, and behind-the-scenes of performances, so that... Read more
More Important than Ever: How This High School Scholar Started a Club to Improve Mental Health
At Success Academy, we take mental health just as seriously as physical health. That’s why we’ve partnered with Uwill to provide easy access to counseling and other tools for high school scholars, all at no cost. That’s also why, near the beginning of the pandemic, current HSLA–Manhattan senior Awa Traore and her advisor, Marwah Sheikh,... Read more
Gardening Club: How SA Scholars Are Celebrating our Planet
Bella Vasquez, a freshman at Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts — Manhattan, lives in an apartment full of plants, thanks to the love of gardening she shares with her mother. She was taught at an early age how to care for plants and how to put certain ones, like the aloe they... Read more
The Odds of Admission Were Steep, but This SA Scholar Went for it!
Andrew Breton knows how to make the most of any opportunity that comes his way. When his summer program was cancelled last year, he decided to take a job at Old Navy — and quickly differentiated himself as the employee with the most credit card sign-ups behind the register in the entire county. He eventually... Read more
From Harlem to Alaska: My First Adventure Into the Wild
Madison Blake is a sophomore at Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts in New York City. This year, SA’s Summer Experience program covered the cost of 75 students to access pre-college summer classes in STEM, business, the arts, and outdoor adventures. Read more
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