Athens Academy is pleased to announce that David Liu is the valedictorian for the Class of 2024, and Westbrook Adams and Matthew Can have been named co-salutatorians for the class. They will graduate alongside their 73 classmates on Sunday, May 19, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. at the Classic Center.

David is the son of Ling Huang and Tianming Liu of Watkinsville, and he has attended Athens Academy since the sixth grade. He is a member of the Cum Laude Society, the National Honor Society, and the Spanish Honor Society. He has played the saxophone in the band since Middle School and is a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society. During his summers, David has worked as a research assistant for robotics professors at Harvard University and the University of Georgia. He has also served as a leader of the Sparbots, Athens Academy’s FTC robotics team, and played JV and varsity football for all four years of Upper School. David will be attending Princeton University this fall.

An Athens Academy student since Preschool, Westbrook is the son of Tanya and Kevin Adams of Athens. He is a National Merit Finalist and a member of the Cum Laude Society, the National Honor Society, and the Spanish Honor Society. Westbrook was elected to the Honor Council all four years of Upper School and currently serves as the president of the Honor Council and Judiciary Board. He is a four-year member of the JV and varsity basketball teams and was a team captain during his junior and senior years. Westbrook will be attending Vanderbilt University this fall.

Matthew Can is the son of June and Alp Can of Athens, and he has attended Athens Academy since the seventh grade. He is a National Merit Finalist and a member of the Cum Laude Society, the National Honor Society, and the Latin Honor Society. Matthew was this year’s STAR Student from Athens Academy, choosing Latin teacher Mike Butler as his STAR Teacher. A member of the Upper School orchestra, he served also as the treasurer for the Tri-M Music Society. Matthew will be attending Cornell University this fall.

Pictured, left to right: Upper School Director Susan Zalac, Matthew Can, David Liu, Westbrook Adams, and Head of School John Thorsen.

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. Now in its 57th year, Athens Academy pursues its mission of “excellence with honor” through academics, athletics, fine arts, and service and leadership. Ranked the #1 private school in Athens, #9 college prep school in the state of Georgia, and #1 private school in Northeast Georgia (Niche.com).

For more information, please contact Kelley Cuneo, communications director, at [email protected] or 706-433-2410.