Helix Feed

From Las Vegas to College Dreams: Zariah Russell, Elevate's Rising Art Star

A Fresh Start, A New Beginning
Zariah Russell's story begins with a bold move from North Las Vegas to Colorado during her sophomore year. "At my old school, no teachers really helped us out," Zariah reflects. "There was no tutoring like Elevate has."

The difference was immediate and transformative. "[DSST: Elevate] is way different from the school that I went to. And it's actually helped me be able to graduate. It really helped a lot."

Finding Her Voice Through Art
What drives Zariah? Art and animation. Her passion runs deep, rooted in a desire to make her mother proud and tell stories that inspire others. "If I can make animation and tell people's stories or make anime and inspire other people to do it, that's what I wanted to do," she explains.

Through DSST's Advanced Placement Art program and the Creative Content Cohort, Zariah has found her creative voice. She's created speed drawing  videos, collaborated with students from across the DSST network, and even auditioned to be her school mascot—building confidence she never knew she had.

Dreaming in Code: A Black Student's Journey Through STEM

Celebrating Black History Month by spotlighting Nyjah Munn, a DSST: Conservatory Green High School senior whose passion for engineering is shaping the future.

There's a moment that changed everything for Nyjah Munn, DSST: Conservatory Green ‘26. He was riding home from a summer camp, holding a drawing robot he'd just built. The small machine whirred and moved in his hands, tracing invisible patterns in the air. Then, without warning, it started to catch fire.

Feature Friday: How Salvador Ramirez cultivates belonging for DSST's diverse community

Every day, Salvador Ramirez shows up to work at the DSST Home Office with a clear sense of purpose: to build something better.

Important changes to DSST tech systems

Upcoming opportunities to grow your leadership at DSST

Interested in building your leadership? DSST offers several paid opportunities and funded development experiences to help you grow your impact next year.

From first‑gen student to community builder, Perla Bustillos Gutierrez shares how DSST taught her to lead on her own terms

As a first-generation student at DSST: Montview, college felt like a distant possibility for Perla Bustillos Gutierrez, not a guaranteed next step. But, through guidance, encouragement, and consistent support, Bustillos Gutierrez, Class of 2014, came to see that a four-year college was within reach, even before she fully knew how to imagine herself there.

Update on Big Goal 5: Position DSST for Future Growth

Beginning in Q3, we are formally reporting progress on Big Goal 5, made possible by the generous support of partners who want to expand access to excellent schools for families.

Introducing DSST Lab Classrooms: A new pilot program that focuses on learning from real classrooms

When we talk about great teaching, we often describe it through frameworks, videos or carefully curated examples. But the reality of teaching lives in the middle of a lesson, with real students, real curriculum and real decisions unfolding moment by moment.

A Message to the DSST Community: Reflections from the Fall Network Listening & Learning Tour

DSST Community,

Feature Friday: Raul Castillo Ontiveros opens doors through language and leadership

At DSST: Elevate Northeast High School, Raul Castillo Ontiveros teaches more than AP Spanish. He teaches students to see themselves as bilingual scholars. He teaches them that the language they already speak at home, the one they might have been told to leave at the door, is actually their superpower.