Amanda Watts, Duke University, Class of 2018. 
Amanda Watts, Benjamin E. Mays High School, 2014 valedictorian.
In 2018, Amanda Watts earned her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Duke University, building on a foundation rooted at Atlanta Public Schools. She received her early start at West Manor Elementary, transitioned to Jean Childs Young Middle School, and finished her APS education at Benjamin E. Mays High School, where she was the 2014 valedictorian.
Amanda Watts, the 2014 Benjamin E. Mays High School valedictorian, graduated from Duke University with a bachelor’s in neuroscience.
“I am immensely grateful to all of the faculty, staff, peers, and mentors who assisted me in this journey,” Watts said. “The village that raised me is a major reason I graduated from Duke. I want to tell students currently in APS to gain as much knowledge from diverse experiences that they can, find and follow their passions, and never be ashamed or afraid to ask for help no matter where they go. They are capable, adequate, and loved.”
Watts is currently seeking scientific research technician positions before pursuing a Ph.D. in music cognition or neuroscience.
“We are immensely proud of this accomplishment as well as the many she achieved while a student at APS her entire life,” her parents Audrey and Johnny Watts wrote in an email to APS. “We thank all of the teachers and staff members over the years for nurturing her success.”
We Are APS highlights APS visionaries (parents, students, teachers, principals, support staff, community members, partners, etc.), who exemplify our vision of a high-performing school district where students love to learn, educators inspire, families engage, and the community trusts the system. To recommend an APS visionary for a We Are APS feature, contact your communications liaison or email apscommunicationsoffice@gmail.com.
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