BELLE — As the Belle High School (BHS) Class of 2026 prepares for graduation, its class officers say the group may not have an official class theme, but they do share ambition, intelligence and a willingness to pursue their own paths after high school.

Class President Holly Rider said one of her favorite memories came through her involvement in FFA (Future Farmers of America) and time spent with classmates in the agriculture program.

“My personal favorite memory, I was in FFA a lot,” Rider said. “Getting to hang out with kids that were, I guess, like-minded. We spent a lot of time in the Ag room, and got to participate in a lot of different things that this school offered.”

As graduation approaches, Rider said she hopes her classmates continue pushing themselves beyond high school.

“A lot of the kids here are capable of a lot of things, and I hope they just don’t let high school be their peak, and that they will continue to move up in the world,” she said.

Rider said she is especially proud that many students in the class are choosing careers and futures that genuinely fit their interests.

“We have kids going into the military. We have kids going to trade school. We have a lot of kids that pick things that they actually enjoyed,” Rider said. “We have one girl who’s starting a business straight out of high school. I don’t feel like there’s very many kids that got pressured into doing any specific job or going to college when they didn’t need to, and I’m proud of that.”

Vice President Cooper Durbin said some of his favorite memories came from years spent playing baseball alongside classmates.

“I’ve played baseball since first grade, and I’ve had the same team with my fellow classmates,” Durbin said. “We’ve played baseball for so long together.”

Durbin described the Class of 2026 as “pretty intelligent” and encouraged classmates to continue challenging themselves in life after high school.

“Always challenge yourself,” he said. “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.”

Durbin also reflected on personal obstacles he overcame during high school after undergoing two surgeries.

“Going through that definitely helped a lot,” he said. “I can do a lot, and I know my limits.”

Treasurer Adeline Walters said one of her favorite school memories was a sophomore-year biology field trip to the zoo.

“It was really fun,” Walters said.

Walters said the Class of 2026 stands out because students are both outspoken and intelligent.

“We are a very talkative bunch,” she said. “I think that we’re very outspoken, but we are, for the most part, intellectual at the same time.”

Her advice to classmates was to take chances and pursue opportunities, even when they seem intimidating.

“I think that everybody should do the thing that they’re scared to do,” Walters said. “Something that they think that they shouldn’t do because it might mess stuff up. I think you should do it because it might be worth it.”

Secretary Chase Trainor said the strongest memories from high school came simply from spending time together as a class.

“There’s no one specific memory,” Trainor said. “We have a good time when we’re all together.”

Trainor described the class as motivated and future-focused.

“I think we’re all going to be really successful,” he said. “We’re all driven.”

As students prepare to leave BHS behind, Trainor offered advice to classmates.

“Everything will work out,” he said. “Just got to trust the process.”

Trainor added that he is proud of everyone in the class who made it to graduation.

“I’m proud of everybody that’s been able to make it,” he said. “I know a lot of people do it, but it’s still not easy, and I’m just glad we’re all here.”