Seventh grader Kayden Waller has been part of Meridian schools since his first day of Pre-K. Now in junior high, he finds himself at a stage where the mornings feel early, the days are long, and questions about the future are beginning to take shape.

Kayden admits that school isn’t his favorite place. “It’s okay,” he said, explaining that it has thrown off his sleep schedule. On school nights, he wakes up as early as three or four in the morning, leaving him tired in his first-hour class, social studies. Even so, he’s keeping up with his grades, usually earning A’s, B’s, and C’s.

Gym tops his list of favorite subjects. “Because it’s gym, and we exercise in there,” he said with a grin. His second favorite is horticulture, where Mrs. Ruiz’s class has introduced him to plants and growing things.

Kayden lives in the country, right next door to his grandmother, who is also featured in this issue. His family’s ties to the community run deep. His dad grew up here and now works as a deputy with the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department, while his mom, originally from Michigan, is a nurse at Southeast Hospital in Cape Girardeau. At home, Kayden has one younger sister, Chloe, a third grader at Meridian.

Outside of school, Kayden enjoys video games, especially Call of Duty: World War II. He also has an interest in chess. He once taught his dad to play, only to find himself outmatched after his dad quickly improved. His own chessboard, purchased on a family cruise to Mexico, is a reminder of both the game and the trip.

That cruise was one of his favorite experiences. Sailing with Carnival out of New Orleans, the family enjoyed three days of food, sights, and adventure on the water. For Kayden, the shorter trip was just right. “It does get boring after a while,” he admitted, though his family is already planning a longer cruise to the Bahamas.

When asked about Florida, where many cruises launch, Kayden shook his head. “I don’t want to go to Florida,” he said. The reason? Alligators. “They mess with you,” he insisted, unconvinced otherwise. For him, Michigan holds much more appeal. His mother’s family is there, and he loves visiting. “I want to live in Michigan again,” he said, recalling trips to see relatives who spend part of the year up north before heading to Florida.

At this stage, Kayden is still figuring out what he wants to do with his life, but one idea has taken hold: law. He recently decided that becoming a lawyer might be the right path. “I’m good at arguing,” he explained, describing how he can stay calm even when his mom gets frustrated with his steady reasoning. That ability to think on his feet and stay composed could one day serve him well in a courtroom. He knows he’ll need to have good grades in high school to reach that goal, but he’s intrigued by the possibilities.

Day to day, his schedule follows a familiar rhythm. He wakes up early, showers, and waits until his mom gets him moving around six. After breakfast, he heads to school, gets through the classes he doesn’t enjoy as much, and looks forward to gym or horticulture. Afternoons are for relaxing with television or games, and weekends are spent catching up on sleep.

Though he’s not involved in sports or clubs at the moment, Kayden said he would join a chess club if Meridian offered one. It’s one of several interests he’s carried with him as he grows, shaped by the examples around him: a grandmother who is the school’s bookkeeper, a father serving the county, and a mother caring for patients every day.

Kayden’s story reflects the experiences of many Meridian students—rooted in family, shaped by community, and still unfolding. Whether he’s saving memories from a cruise, exploring a new subject like horticulture, or imagining himself in a courtroom, he is slowly building the foundation of who he is becoming.