Two lifelong friends are making history in the state’s largest school district.

Abdulqudus “Abdul” Morakinyo and Bryan Oko, seniors at the Newark School of Data Science and Information Technology, have both committed to attend Brown University, becoming the first students from their school to be accepted into an Ivy League institution.

The pair first met in second grade and say they have spent more than a decade pushing each other academically, turning a close friendship into a shared drive for success.

“It was a moment of excitement, it was a moment of relief because all the work we put in for the past four years actually amounts to something that we could see something tangible, something that people could be proud of us for,” Oko said.

Both students earned the top academic rankings in their class — Morakinyo as valedictorian and Oko as salutatorian—while completing rigorous coursework and taking advantage of advanced academic opportunities throughout their time in Newark Public Schools.

They also participated in multiple competitive enrichment programs, including dual-enrollment college courses and STEM-focused initiatives designed to prepare students for top universities.

The students say their friendly rivalry played a key role in their success.

“There’s always this drive to be better than the other, or at least to prove that you are the best of the two, really. Of course, it’s also getting friendly at the time because again it’s not just all about competing against each other. It’s also about working together to foster these permanent relationships,” Morakinyo said.

At the Newark School of Data Science and Information Technology, educators say the achievement reflects years of academic rigor and student support designed to expand college access.

School leaders also say the milestone marks a defining moment for the program and the district as a whole.

Both students plan to pursue careers in engineering and robotics, with long-term goals of entering innovation-driven industries.

While they say tuition remains a concern, both agree the opportunity to attend an Ivy League institution is worth it.

“The level of prestige, the network and opportunities given by this Ivy League institution are unmatched,” Oko said.

Now heading to Brown University together, the longtime friends say their journey is only beginning and their bond will continue pushing them forward into the future.