Xixi Hillman, Valedictorian

Xixi Hillman is FWCD’s Class of 2022 Valedictorian. She will attend The University of Texas at Austin and double major in Biochemistry and Plan II Honors.

A National Merit Commended Student, Hillman has been a part of the Falcon fold since fifth grade; she came to FWCD from Keller ISD. Hillman and her mother, Yan, had recently left their native Beijing. Yan wanted a quality education for her daughter and there were limits placed on education as a result of the hukou caste-style registration system of the People’s Republic of China. “I was in second grade and did not know any English,” Hillman recalled. When it was time for Hillman to go to Middle School, Yan spearheaded a search for the best school in Fort Worth.

Inducted into FWCD’s Cum Laude Society as a junior, Hillman completed eight of the School’s 11 Honors-level courses and 11 Advanced Placement courses, which more than doubles the average number of AP and Honors courses completed by an FWCD student. She learned to code freshman year and created the “Anagrams” app and was honored with a MIT Teen Inventor Award. Her favorite classes included AP Computer Science, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP English Literature and Composition, Multivariable Calculus, and AP Music Theory.

Xixi Hillman, Valedictorian

Locations Photography

Hillman’s chosen art was orchestra; she plays the violin, which she played at FWCD through Middle School. In Upper School, she played through the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra so she could take an additional academic class each year.

Volleyball and basketball were Hillman’s athletic choices, which she played from grades 7-10. This year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, she managed the girls basketball team. “Managing the team made me respect the game and the athletes from a different vantage point,” Hillman said. “I saw everyone playing the game and working together. Though I wasn’t on the court, I felt part of their team, and I was proud of their incredible fortitude.”

Hillman attributes her dedication to her education to her grandmother and her mom. When she found out she was Valedictorian, her first call was to China. “My grandma did not go to college because of the revolution,” she said. “My mom left China to provide me with a strong education and stable life. All of this is possible because of my mom and her love for me. I wanted to embrace every opportunity.”