Belize High School awards diplomas to 45 graduates

By William Ysaguirre (Freelance Writer)

BELIZE CITY, Mon. June 15, 2026

   The Belize High School Class of 2026 – consisting of 45 graduates: 24 young ladies and 21 young men—received their high school diplomas in commencement exercises held at the Belize Civic Center in Belize City last Saturday morning, June 13.

   Madison Williams had achieved the highest grade-point average, and to her fell the honor of giving the valedictory address. She thanked all her teachers of her senior year, her family and friends who helped her achieve success, and especially expressed appreciation for the support of her mother, for all her sacrifices. “Greatness starts by small steps, with the friendships we built, the lessons we learnt from failure … Life is not something that happened to us; it is something that we create by the choices we make every day … Take a step forward and determine your effect,” she urged her peers.

   The guest speaker at the ceremony, Miss Universe Belize Isabella Zabaneh, cited the ‘domino effect’. “What a domino teaches us is that small steps matter”, she counselled the graduates. “Extraordinary lives are usually built through ordinary actions, repeated consistently over time … A habit can shape a future. A small act of discipline can open a door. A small decision can change your life forever … One step at a time … Be very intentional with everything you set in motion, because everything has a ripple effect and a chain reaction,” she said.

   She further stated, “We need more people with great character, people who are willing to work hard, to learn, to lead, and to serve. People who are willing to use their education, not to improve their own lives, but to improve the lives of others.”  She warned them against becoming part of the brain drain. “Never forget the value of giving back at home … because education is never about what you can gain; it is also about what you can contribute”, she advised.

   “The next chapter of our lives will begin with small steps. Let us continue to have opportunities for growth,” salutatorian Xin Lei Huang said in her welcome address.

   The principal of the school, Majiba Sharp presented the Student of the Year awards to Hannah Auil and Caius Espat, whose leadership, integrity and commitment to the school community had been outstanding.

   Dmitri Arguelles had earned the 3rd highest GPA, and he delivered the vote of thanks. The school also honored its top achievers in each subject major and core subjects:  Gabriela Ramos for Cultural Studies and Human and Social Biology; Madison Williams for Biology; Xin Lei Huang for Physics and Chemistry; Dmiti Arguelles for Marketing and Entrepreneurship & Management; Varun Sadarangani for Accounting; Lauren Pugh for Mobile App Development; Taylor Bennett for Programming Languages; Tracy Chan for IT Physics; and Jelyssa Jones for Public Sector Marketing.