LAKE WALES, Fla. —  A Polk County middle school is celebrating a student who defied the odds and excelled in school despite his challenging circumstances at home.

Meriye Labissiere is a seventh-grader at McLaughlin Middle School in Lake Wales.

He’s an athlete but he also has an interest in media arts. He’s currently working with his class in collaboration with the city of Lake Wales to create a documentary that follows the progress of revitalization on Lincoln Avenue.

“I also want to learn to use the cameras so I could record myself playing football for scouts when I grow up so, colleges can look at me and say, I want that person on my team,'” said Labissiere.

Labissiere’s teachers describe the ambitious seventh-grader as kind, funny and always willing to help others. These are positive affirmations that Labissiere uses to fuel his motivation.

“My mom went to jail for nine years,” he said. “She always said no matter what’s going on she always wanted me to show up for school and I do.”

He said that shortly after his mom went to prison, his dad was also locked up; leaving Labissiere to watch after his four younger siblings.

“My older brother left but I didn’t want to leave them,” he explained. “We were living with my grandma after my dad but then she died; that’s when we went to go live with my aunt.”

This seventh-grader has seen more than some witness in a lifetime but said quitting isn’t an option and the staff at McLaughlin Middle School supports him.  

“It’s amazing how he does it,” said Johnathan Riedel, Media Teacher on campus. “I think if I went through what he has, I wouldn’t have been so positive and I don’t think I would have had an optimistic look on life.”

Riedel’s class will be working on their first documentary this summer.

“My teachers see more than just state test scores when they see these students,” said McLaughlin principal, Dr. Debra Hudson. “Meriye working with Mr. Riedel seeing in him greatness, he’s being able to afford him the opportunity to collaborate with the city of Lake Wales on a project for community revitalization.”

McLaughlin is a rigorous public school in Lake Wales that Dr. Hudson says every student has a chance to find their power.