Contextual definitions of success are situated within specific schools and informal learning environments and, within those situated contexts, impact the identities that youth develop. This article explores what it means to be successful outside of mainstream education and the resources youth use to reorient to alternative definitions of success, contributing to literature on supporting the identity development and success of youth on the margins of public education. In this study, ethnographic methods were used to conduct case analyses of two youth in an alternative high school. Specifically, case youths' perspectives were examined to identify ideational resources -- defined as ideas about oneself, one's place in the world, and an understanding of what is valued within specific communities. Findings highlight two themes of ideational resources -- a critique of normative education and a focus on community education -- that allowed youth to redefine school and become successful members of the alternative school community.