Academics
Upper School

Capstone Program

The Capstone Program offers students the opportunity to engage in a culminating project that will demonstrate their knowledge, learning and growth through the completion of a collaborative and multifaceted project.
As part of Athens Academy’s 2022-2027 Strategic Plan, the administration and faculty discussed different ways to prepare students for the ever-changing landscape of the future. One of the goals that emerged from this process reads: “Continue to exemplify excellence in teaching and learning through curriculum innovation and professional learning opportunities for faculty by developing student-led capstone projects in each division, including internships and mentoring opportunities in the Upper School, to enable students to apply and explore concepts they have learned while also strengthening community connections.”

Students have the opportunity to apply to the Capstone Program during the spring of their sophomore year. Students work closely with their Capstone advisors and mentors to identify a project, track progress towards completion and ultimately, present and defend their project to the Capstone Advisory Committee. Defense of the Capstone Project occurs during the senior year in high school. A successful defense represents a substantial body of work, will be a highlight for the collegiate application process, and will, most importantly, be a personal point of achievement and pride.

One of the main benefits of completing the Capstone Program is to give students a directed opportunity to explore an area of interest or passion that could potentially be an area of further study at the collegiate level. Additionally, engagement in the project will organically lead students to find experts and mentors in their particular field of interest. These relationships and opportunities to network will be invaluable to personal growth and future success.

As of the fall of 2026, a total of 31 students have successfully completed and presented their Capstone projects to the advisory committee, and all 31 have been awarded with the Capstone designation. The members of the 2027 Capstone cohort are entering their final year of work in preparation for the defense of their project—with the 2028 group not far behind them.

Capstone 2026

List of 11 items.

  • Brendan Golish

    AI Implementation in Business
    Mentor: Ken Edwards

  • Riley Harding

    Creating a Creative Writing Community
    Mentor: Tricia Edmison

  • Emiliana Korin

    Learning to Serve, Serving to Learn: A Study of Community Service's Impact on Civic Engagement
    Mentor: Marlana Street & Dr. Acosta Alzuru

  • Maddie Lacey

    The Power of a Story: A Communication Project
    Mentor: Dr. Anna Scott

  • Mia Lee

    The Better Days Project
    Mentor: Eric Bright

  • Remy Marty

    The Impact of Storytelling on Language Evolution and the History of Bookbinding
    Mentor: Alan Hickerson

  • Will McCleary

    The Effects of Microplastics on Neural Stem Cells
    Mentor: Lori Neves

  • Sophie Phan

    Leading Through Literacy
    Mentor: Katie Terry

  • Jack Ryan

    The Global Water Crisis
    Mentor: Jacqueline Land

  • Sloane Turner

    How Fashion Sustainability and Consumerism are Inherently Connected
    Mentor: Dr. Katherine Barrow

  • Charlie Walton

    A Deep Dive into Leadership Development
    Mentor: Beth Farmer & Brian Olson

Athens Academy

1281 Spartan Lane
Athens, Georgia 30606
Phone: 706.549.9225
Athens Academy is an independent, co-educational school for students in K3 through 12th grade, located on a beautiful 152-acre campus in Northeast Georgia. For 60 years, Athens Academy has pursued its mission of Excellence with Honor through academics, athletics, fine arts, and service and leadership.