Addison Drinnon and Kennedy Wilson Furlow Charter School valedictorian and salutatorian

Published 3:34 pm Saturday, May 17, 2025

The Americus Correspondent

“What do you call a kitchen full of graduates? A recipe for success.” Addison Drinnon, Furlow Charter School’s 2024-2025 Valedictorian, quipped into the microphone during graduation practice at the GSW Dome on Friday. Addison has been accepted to the STEM Research Fellowship Program at Berry College, where she will be attending in the fall. Addison plans to major in Chemistry and chemical research. Addison was selected as the 2025 Georgia Scholar by the Georgia Department of Education and was recently recognized as the STAR Student for Furlow. She also received a Georgia Student Service award which recognized her over 200 hours of community service. Addison has participated on the school’s Tennis, Cross Country and Track teams and excelled in the 4 x 18 meter and 2 mile events. Some of her extracurricular activities include Beta Club, National Art Honor Society, Literary Club, Youth Peace in Action, Prom Committee and Chick-fil-E Leader Academy. Addison was recently voted Most Consistent and Most Athletic.

“Furlow is a tight-knit community. We have great teachers who really care about us. Because I’ve been here since elementary school, the good habits they have instilled in us have made learning easy. I have really enjoyed my time at Furlow,” says Addison. Her favorite high school memory was her class winning the Spirit Stick at the Bard Bash, a Shakespearean-themed field day, four years in a row. As the STAR Student, Addison was asked to share the spotlight with the teacher she believed made the most difference in her educational career. “I chose Ms. [Marybeth Doble]. She has done so much for our class as a whole and for me personally. She helped me dive into the academic subjects I loved most, chemistry and photography. She helped me understand that I would enjoy a career in chemical research.”

Addison is the oldest of two children. She attends Calvary Episcopal Church and works on Sundays as a hospitality coordinator. Carlee Crowhead, a teacher at Furlow, describes Addison as humble. “She is a peacemaker among her peers. She builds folks up and cheers them on.” Marybeth Doble, another teacher, adds that “Addison is a bridge between all groups.” Addison leaves this piece of advice for her peers as she heads off to college in the fall: “Find a good middle ground. It’s possible to have good friends and a great school career. Balance is the key.”

Kennedy Wilson, Salutatorian, is a Renaissance woman. “My eventual goal is to have a doctorate in nursing and to pursue a career as a Pediatric Oncology Nurse,” says Kennedy. “I will attend Georgia Southern in the fall and major in Nursing.  I’m excited about Southern because I like their demographics and they have over 200 clubs!” Kennedy has led an active high school life.  In addition to making all As in everything, she has participated as a Cheerleader for the past six years, played on the school’s Tennis team and won Best Actress in the One Act Play Competition at both Region and State. Some of Kennedy’s other extracurricular activities, which are too numerous to write about here, include Literary Team, Youth Peace in Action, Chick-fil-E Leader Academy, Beta Club, National Art Honor Society, Prom Committee, Key Club President, Yearbook staff, and Chattahoochee Flint RESA Youth Advisory Board. She also received a Georgia Student Service award which recognized her over 200 hours of community service. Kennedy was voted Most Likely to Succeed by her peers and Most Photogenic.

Asked her secret to success, Kennedy replied, “I delegate the things that stress me out … and I work hard.” She has also started her own silk flower arranging business, Eternally Yours Bouquets. “But I couldn’t have done all this alone. I’ve learned that it’s ok to ask for help. My parents are incredibly supportive and so was my advisor, Ms. Gatian [Roxanne Gatian]. She sacrifices a lot, stays late and comes in super early to help us.” Kennedy’s favorite book is The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates, by Wes Moore. “Life’s impermanence, I realized, is what makes every single day so precious. It’s what shapes our time here.” – Wes Moore.