COWETA, Ok — A Coweta community is grieving after losing one of its brightest stars.
Isabella Clay, 18, a senior at Coweta High School, died in a crash in Muskogee County Saturday morning.
WATCH: Coweta AG teacher remembers student killed in Muskogee County crash:
Friends and family knew her as "Bella" and remember her as a student full of drive, heart, and a deep passion for FFA.
Her agriculture teacher, Stuart Symes, said she wasn't just a member of FFA — she was the heartbeat of it.
"She wanted to be involved in FFA in any way that she possibly could, and she wanted to be busy from the month of August to the month of May," Symes said.
Symes described Isabella as someone with boundless energy and determination.
"She was a beacon to our kids and she had lots of energy and she wanted to do just about anything she set her mind to and I actually had to reign her back a little bit because she had too much on her plate at one given time," Symes said.
Just one week before her death, Isabella spoke at the Wagoner County Junior Livestock Show — a moment the organization said reflected just how special she was.
The Coweta FFA Chapter echoed that sentiment online, writing that Isabella "loved the FFA and touched the lives of everyone she met — a true example of what FFA means."
When news of her death broke, Symes said it stopped him in his tracks.
"It was very hard to deal with. It was not something that I was expecting. It was very abrupt — but with the help of my school community and my teaching partners in my profession, it's getting easier," Symes said.
At Coweta High School, friends built a growing memorial at Isabella's senior parking spot to honor her memory.
Symes has this message for anyone who has never crossed paths with Isabella.
"I don't really know many people who didn't know her — but those who didn't, just know that she is a very bright and very smart young lady that had a lot of future in front of her and that she was taken from us too early," Symes said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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