Malik Russell joins Bushwick Ascend Middle School as school director, having served as founding principal at two Success Academy (SA) middle schools—SA Hudson Yards Middle School and SA Cobble Hill Middle School—and led both schools to extraordinarily high levels of student achievement. Previously, Russell trained at other Success Academy schools as a leadership fellow and resident. Prior to his career in education, Russell worked extensively in finance and law, serving as a corporate associate at the law firm Simpson Thacher, an associate at Goldman Sachs, an associate director at UBS Investment Bank, and a freelance financial consultant. A Bushwick native, Russell has also coached youth basketball for many years at local schools and community organizations. Russell holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center.