On Wednesday, October 29, senior Jack Ryan successfully defended his Capstone project,

“The Global Water Crisis,

” before a committee of faculty and administrators.

For his Capstone project, Athens Academy senior Jack Ryan explored the global water crisis

through seven years of sustained action, research, and service. Motivated by a desire to help

others, Jack began learning about water scarcity in fifth grade and soon realized the profound effect

that clean water has on health, education, and economic stability. His work has included

interviews with nonprofit leaders and specialists, extensive reading and research, and a formal

research paper analyzing both causes of the crisis and sustainable solutions. Over time, what

started as curiosity became a mission: raising awareness, inspiring community involvement, and

creating real change for families around the world.

Jack’s learning extended well beyond the classroom. He traveled twice to Zambia, where he

witnessed firsthand the impact of wells he helped fund and built relationships with the villagers

whose lives were transformed by access to clean water. He toured Water Mission in Charleston,

shadowed a well-drilling specialist in Georgia, and met with fundraising experts—including Athens

Academy’s own DeDe Guest—to learn how nonprofits build support and credibility. These

experiences taught him not only the science and logistics behind clean water systems, but also

that meaningful service is about people, partnerships, and persistence.

Throughout his project, Jack became a powerful advocate and communicator. He designed age-

appropriate presentations for students from elementary through high school, led interactive

demonstrations to teach younger children about water scarcity, and spoke to civic organizations,

nonprofits, and businesses—including Greenville Water and the Global Samaritans Gala. His

outreach resulted in expanded awareness and inspired multiple student groups to fund wells of

their own.

Most importantly, Jack’s efforts created measurable, life-changing impact. Through car

washes, photography sales, community sponsorships, a school pickleball tournament, and a Kids

Boost campaign, he raised more than $26,000—fully funding four wells serving hundreds of people

in South Sudan and Zambia. His work reflects Athens Academy’s mission of leadership, service,

and global citizenship, and Jack plans to continue building partnerships that support long-term

clean water solutions. What began as one student’s idea has become a meaningful legacy of

compassion, action, and hope.

The Capstone Project is an opportunity for Upper School students to explore a passion via

four criteria: research, mentorship, experiential learning, and an outward contribution. Each

student submits a research paper detailing an aspect of the project, and they defend the projectbefore a committee of faculty and administrators, similar to a Ph.D. oral defense. Students whose

projects are approved by the committee receive the Capstone designation at commencement in

May.

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 58th 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, #6 private school in the

state of Georgia (out of 400+ schools), and #1 private school in North Georgia (Niche.com).

For more information, please contact Kelley Cuneo, communications director, at

[email protected] or 706-433-2410.