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Athens Academy Announces Valedictorian & Salutatorian
Athens Academy is pleased to announce that Joshua Xie is the valedictorian and John Maxwell McKillip is the salutatorian for the Class of 2025. They will graduate alongside their 82 classmates on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at the Classic Center.
Joshua is the son of Crystal Zhu and Paul Xie of Bogart, and he has attended Athens Academy since fourth grade. A National Merit Finalist, Joshua is a member of the Cum Laude Society, the National Honor Society, and the Spanish Honor Society. He participated on the Judiciary Board of the Honor Council throughout Upper School. He has played the violin in the orchestra since Lower School and is a member of the ACAD Quartet and the Tri-M Music Honor Society. Joshua is a member of the Athens Academy Model UN team and received the Honorable Delegate Award at the UGA Model UN conference in February. He will be attending Georgia Tech, where he plans to study computer science.
An Athens Academy student since Preschool, John Maxwell is the son of Mary and Doug McKillip of Athens. He is a member of the Cum Laude Society and the National Honor Society and served as editor of the yearbook for two years. During the summers, John Maxwell interned with the Under Armour Association basketball league and volunteered at Piedmont Athens Regional Hospital. This fall he will be attending Georgia Tech, where he plans to study civil engineering.
Athens Academy
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 over 50 years, Athens Academy has pursued its mission of Excellence with Honor through academics, athletics, fine arts, and service and leadership.
