by Keka Araujo
April 20, 2026
Olivia Connie-Perkins, a graduate of Success Academy High School of the Liberal Arts, has been accepted to Brown University, making her the first student from the school’s Brooklyn campus to secure acceptance into the Ivy League.
The milestone was announced over the school’s intercom in December, a moment captured in a viral video in which Connie-Perkins’ classmates erupt in cheers. For the Brooklyn campus, which opened in 2022 and will graduate its first class this spring, the acceptance serves as a definitive sign of the institution’s academic development.
Despite the personal nature of the accomplishment, Connie-Perkins attributed a large part of the moment to the environment her colleagues fostered. “[Their reaction] made me realize how great our Success Academy community is. We always celebrate each other and our successes,” she said PEOPLE.
Connie-Perkins, a first-generation college student, completed a demanding academic workload that included nearly a dozen Advanced Placement courses. Outside the classroom, she founded Yarn Yard, a student-run club dedicated to her interests in art and crochet. Her decision to commit to the Providence-based university was influenced by both its aesthetic and educational reputation.
“Brown [University] was always my first choice because I was very attracted to the beautiful campus – it reminded me of architecture, which I studied in art history – and its open curriculum,” explained Connie-Perkins.
The success aligns with a broader pattern of success within the charter network. According to management, 100% of Success Academy graduates have been accepted into four-year colleges for nine consecutive years. As Connie-Perkins reflected on her journey, she noted the importance of the institutional resources that supported her path to the Ivy League.
“I know that many children do not have the same opportunities, so I am grateful that I was able to attend a school like Success Academy, where I had the opportunity to explore my diverse interests while being prepared for academic success,” she noted.
As she prepares to join the Brown University Class of 2030, Connie-Perkins’ induction is both a personal culmination of years of effort and a foundational precedent for the future of Success Academy’s Brooklyn campus.
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