AHS 2018 valedictorian and salutatorian

Ideal Ademaj (left) is valedictorian and Jacob Moore is salutatorian of the Athens High School class of 2018. Graduation is Friday, May 25. (Toni Garrard Clay/AISD)

Ideal Ademaj is the Athens High School valedictorian, and Jacob Moore is the Athens High School salutatorian. Ademaj has a grade point average of 108.635; Moore’s is 108.094. The commencement ceremony is Friday, May 25, at Athens High School.

Ademaj is a member of AISD’s Pinnacle Early College High School program and graduated with an associate’s degree from Trinity Valley Community College on May 11.

Born in Athens to restaurant-owning Albanian immigrants, he attended school at AISD beginning at the age of 4. In fourth grade, he competed in the UIL math competition, winning that year’s regional number sense meet. That extracurricular activity continued throughout his school years, with Ademaj qualifying for the Regional UIL Academic Meet repeatedly in high school, right up to his competing in number sense in the UIL State Academic Meet this May.

Ademaj joined band in sixth grade, playing the euphonium/baritone. He qualified twice while at AHS for State Solo and Ensemble. His senior year, he served as drill leader as well as first chair in his section, along with being a regional band member. He is a member of the National Honor Society, serving as treasurer his senior year, and is an Athens Public Education Foundation Superintendent’s Scholar.

Ademaj will be attending the University of Texas in Austin studying business economics at the McCombs School of Business. He is the son of Shefqet and Sherete Ademaj and has three siblings: Ilir, Jetmira and Jetlira.

Moore was also born and raised in Athens and attended school at AISD beginning his kindergarten year at Bel Air Elementary.

He played freshman and varsity football and was on the track and powerlifting teams. He excelled in choir, earning the highest honors at State Solo and Ensemble competitions for three years in a row, as well as being admitted into the Texas Music Educator Association’s All-State Choir all four years, earning the coveted “first chair” in the bass section each time.

Moore also had success as a member of the AHS math team in UIL. He received a team medal at regionals his sophomore year and in 2018 scored the highest of any 4A student in the state on the general math test at the UIL Regional Academic Meet. That performance sent him to the state meet in May where he took third place and became the first student from AHS to medal in a state math meet since 2001.

Moore is a member of the National Honor Society, a three-year Athens Public Education Foundation Superintendent’s Scholar, a member of the International Thespian Society, and was elected junior usher by the senior class of 2017.

He will be attending Baylor University in the fall, majoring in vocal performance and mathematics. He is the son of Jason and Shari Moore, brother to Caroline and grandson of Regan Ervin Jenkins Jr.