CASSOPOLIS — In just a little more than a week, 56 students will turn their tassels at Ross Beatty Jr.-Sr. High School.

Ten students stood out among the rest, ranking in the top 10 based on a weighted score of their SAT score, Honor points and GPA. Each was asked a few questions about their time in at Ross Beatty Jr.-Sr. High School, what their plans are after high school and what advice they have to give to next year’s seniors. They are listed in order of their class rank.

1. Amy Adams

1. What are your plans for after high school? I plan to go to Adrian College where I will hopefully study exercise science and minor in business. I’ll be a part of their cross country and track teams.

2. What does it mean to you to be a top academic student? It’s an honor, definitely, to be able to see how all of my hard work has paid off throughout the years.

3. What is your favorite memory from high school? Probably the best day of my life, actually, was the day I went to state for cross country for my senior year. It’s something I had been really hoping for. I came close to placing top 30, which was a goal I set for myself freshman year.

4. What advice do you want to give to next year’s seniors? Keep working, keeping pushing through the whole year. Don’t let your grades drop, and look forward to the future.

2. Amelia Ayers

1. What are your plans for after high school? I’m going Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts, and I’m probably going to major in environmental science, but I’m undecided right now.

2. What does it mean to you to be a top academic student? It’s a great honor because I think we have a lot of really smart kids in this grade, so to be in the top 10 is really empowering. It feels like I’ve accomplished a goal that was not easy to accomplish.

3. What is your favorite memory from high school? Robotics. I’m on a robotics team and just competing with all of our teammates, and you get to meet a lot of awesome people at the competitions. My junior [year], we qualified for the world competition and that was like the best day of my life. It was really awesome.

4. What advice do you want to give to next year’s seniors? I would advise them to continue to work hard and also treat people with respect because that’s such an important part of high school, and you’ll regret it if you look back and didn’t treat people nicely.

3. Daniel Young Jr.

1. What are your plans for after high school? I’m going to go to Cornerstone University, and I’m going study mechanical engineering as a major, and as a minor, I’m going into biblical studies. I’m going there with my girlfriend. I plan to be with her after college and start a career in engineering.

2. What does it mean to you to be a top academic student? I feel like I have a lot of integrity, and I’ve always done my best in school. There was a lot of late nights, hard work and my mom helping motivate me to get stuff done. Securing my place in the top 10 is really just the fruits of my labor, and that means a lot to me.

3. What is your favorite memory from high school? Time with my best friends, girlfriend and football. I love football. It’s my favorite sport. I wish I could play it forever.

4. What advice do you want to give to next year’s seniors? You’re going to want to be done. You’re going to want it to be over really quick. But enjoy every moment of it. Get your work done. Don’t wait until the last minute, and pass your senior year with flying colors.

4. Brandon Anderson

1. What are your plans for after high school? I’ll be attending Hope College, pursuing a degree in business marketing.

2. What does it mean to you to be a top academic student? It’s really just an honor to have the opportunity, and knowing that all of my hard work is paying off now.

3. What is your favorite memory from high school? Definitely going to the semi-state game in football — just having that time with my teammates and a lot of them are really close friends.

4. What advice do you want to give to next year’s seniors? Don’t procrastinate. Definitely don’t procrastinate.

5. Xander Smith

1. What are your plans for after high school? After high school I plan on attending the University of Michigan and eventually becoming an Endodontist. They do root canals. My mom has always worked in the dentistry field. That’s always fascinated me for some reason.

2. What does it mean to you to be a top academic student? It means a lot. It feels good to get recognized for my hard work and time that I’ve put in.

3. What is your favorite memory from high school? Absolute favorite memory from high school was when they locked us all in the gym overnight. I was a sophomore. We had dodgeballs and things like that.

4. What advice do you want to give to next year’s seniors? Fill out scholarships, apply for college, do early admission and keep it. It’s not over. You have to finish it strong.

6. Karly Kelley

1. What are your plans for after high school? I plan on going to Grand Valley. I plan to study business.

2. What does it mean to you to be a top academic student? It’s an honor. I think that it means a lot because I tried really hard to get this.

3. What is your favorite memory from high school? My freshman year was my favorite, and my favorite memory was going to the football games, the basketball game and just being with my class.

4. What advice do you want to give to next year’s seniors? Have fun, don’t stress.

7. Dakota Lawson

1. What are your plans for after high school? I will get a full-time job in the summer, then attend Western Michigan University in the fall.

2. What does it mean to you to be a top academic student? It means so much because I have worked very hard to get good grades and succeed.

3. What is your favorite memory from high school? All of the laughs and amazing memories I’ve had with my friends.

4. What advice do you want to give to next year’s seniors? Don’t give up. Senioritis is real and can cause a lot of problems with your grades and attendance.

8. Trevor Bruens

1. What are your plans for after high school? To go to LLCC — Lansing Community College — and then transfer to Michigan State, and do law enforcement.

2. What does it mean to you to be a top academic student? It’s definitely an honor. Even though our class isn’t huge, to be recognized at top 10 is really cool.

3. What is your favorite memory from high school? When we won our district championship for baseball. It was my freshman year and the first time I ever got introduced to winning something like that, and it continued on throughout my high school career.

4. What advice do you want to give to next year’s seniors? To have fun and not let it just fly by. Take time to have fun and experience your senior year.

9. Hailey Wellman

1. What are your plans for after high school? My plans for after high school are to attend Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek to purse an associate’s degree in emergency medical services, I’ll be a certified paramedic when I leave.

2. What does it mean to you to be a top academic student? It’s an honor. It’s something that I worked for and looked forward to ever since I can remember. Just being able to know that all of the hard work I’ve put into it is finally paying off.

3. What is your favorite memory from high school? One of my favorite memories has to be Friday nights on the football field. I was a cheerleader, so it was always a special memory, and just how close our community is and how they come out and support the boys — it’s just really fun.

4. What advice do you want to give to next year’s seniors? Keep up the hard work. You’re going to want to slack off a little bit, but just keep going. It’s all worth it in the end, and have fun with it.

10. Ky’Juan Lanier

1. What are your plans for after high school? I plan on going to Western Michigan. I really don’t know what I want to study, but probably business.

2. What does it mean to you to be a top academic student? It’s an honor. [It’s] all the work you’ve put in from first grade all the way to now. It shows. It’s something to take back to your family.

3. What is your favorite memory from high school? I would have to say football games. The football team is a brotherhood, and something that I will never forget.

4. What advice do you want to give to next year’s seniors? Keep working, but don’t work too hard. You have enjoy it while it lasts. You are going to leave your friends, eventually, so you want to spend as much time with them as you can.