Livia Angiolillo takes the helm as school director of Brooklyn Ascend High School this year. A co-founder of Uncommon Collegiate Charter High School (UCC), a high-performing high school with alumni who have graduated from four-year colleges at higher rates than students from the wealthiest American communities, Angiolillo brings to Ascend deep experience successfully developing an environment of academic and cultural achievement. In her role at UCC as co-leader and director of operations, she managed day-to-day operations and school culture initiatives, established the school’s service learning program, and participated in several network-level working groups. Prior to founding UCC, Angiolillo participated in three Uncommon fellowship programs, through which she managed numerous projects related to operations, facilities, school safety, and compliance; trained as an operations leader in existing Uncommon schools; and helped plan the launch of UCC with her co-leader. She previously held positions at Harlem RBI DREAM Charter School and the Legal Aid Society Education Advocacy Project. Angiolillo holds a bachelor’s in English and fine arts from Amherst College, a joint MA/M.Ed. in education organization and leadership from Columbia University’s Teachers College, and a JD from Columbia School of Law.