Olivia Hughes and Sarah Smith will lead the Mineola High School Class of 2025 as its top graduates when they cross the stage on Friday, May 23.

Then they will head west.

Hughes is attending Texas Tech University in Lubbock, where she plans to join the ROTC and to become a petroleum engineer.

Smith will be attending Abilene Christian University, where she will study animal science in the pre-veterinarian track. She also will be joining the dance team and wants to take advantage of the school’s study abroad program, especially in places where there is a shortage of veterinarians.

Hughes is the daughter of Chris and Dolores Hughes, a safety consultant and lab tech at UT Health, respectively. Her older sister, Raquel, is a junior at the University of Oklahoma. She is also involved in ROTC while their Dad was in the Army, hence the interest in the military program.

Smith’s father, Kelly, is also a veteran, with the U.S. Marine Corps and recently retired as the Wood County constable for Precinct Two.

Her interest in animals comes as a natural fit, as her mother, Renee, operates a vet clinic in Lindale while dad’s career included work with two police canines.

She hopes to pursue a summer internship at the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler and is particularly interested in exotic animals. She hopes to attend vet school at Texas A&M, like her mother. An older sister is also graduating there.

Hughes’ name is particularly familiar to followers of Mineola High School athletics. She qualified for the state cross country meet all four years, played varsity volleyball all four years and made it to the state track meet three of four years, with the 4x400 relay team just missing a spot by hundredths of a second this year.

And little surprise, she was academic all-state in all three sports.

Smith, too, has been active in athletics, as she said, trying a bit of everything: golf, volleyball, softball, track and qualifying for state in powerlifting.

Both are heavily involved in FFA as well, participating in teams that have advanced to state.

Smith serves as chapter vice president as well as a district officer.

Both girls were on the state qualifying ag sales team, while Smith advanced to state with the public relations team. Hughes also took part in ag advocacy and ag issues.

Smith has been a class president three years while Hughes is class treasurer. Both are also National Honor Society members, with Hughes serving as the secretary.

Smith is also a dance team captain at Dance Dimensions.

While Hughes joined the Class of 2025 in the sixth grade, Smith has attended Mineola schools her entire career.

They listed the same three teachers as among their favorites: Julie Chappa for math, Amanda Crone for history and Rocio Martinez for ag.

Smith added that although Julie Heard was actually her English teacher in middle school, she has continued as a mentor and friend since moving to the high school staff.

The transition from a small town to a large university will be among their first challenges.

“We’re such a small class,” said Hughes. ”We’re pretty close. We all hang out with each other. That has always helped.”

Their honors and college classes are small and close-knit, Smith said, allowing for better relationships and connections.

“It makes school a lot better,” she said.”It gives us a good support system.”

Hughes said she will miss showing up at events and knowing many people attending, and expects it won’t be that way at college.

“We’re so used to this, it’s more comfortable,” she said.

Smith noted that the FFA leadership programs have done a good job helping prepare them for what comes next.

“I’ve grown up here,” she said. “I will miss the people a lot.”

They have at least one more task to complete – those speeches they will give to their classmates.

Smith said she likes writing, such as college and scholarship essays, but coming up with something motivational to say is a different challenge.

No doubt one more challenge they will conquer.