ORLANDO, Fla. – Jaylin Blake, 17, admits he wasn't the average kid. He said through it all, he never gave up. He's a proud high school graduate, even though his route was atypical.
He shared his story with News 6 in hopes that anyone feeling discouraged about finishing high school or achieving their goals will stay motivated.
Jaylin Blake attended an adult high school at the age of 17, not because he was kicked out of school at Edgewater High, but he said it was the best decision to keep him on track.
"I attended Seminole State Adult High School. In many cases, for most people, it is an alternative school, but for me, it was just so I can focus a little harder -- ultimately allowing me to graduate in a year," Jaylin Blake said.
He said his work ethic played a key part in graduating, despite obstacles he faced, like growing up in a single-parent home.
"With the right work ethic, it allowed me to graduate early, and gave me a year to freely think about my future instead of jumping into things," Jaylin Blake said.
Jaylin Blake is the second of five children. He said he was raised mostly by his mother.
His mother, Sheena Blake, also opened up to News 6 about why the adult high school was the best option for her son.
"I believed the mature environment would actually help him focus on his academics more," Sheena Blake said. "I was noticing a lot of distractions were going on at his high school that were irrelevant to his scholastic growth and detractors from the things we knew he should be laser-focused on while in school."
She said her son was in honors and AP courses at Edgewater High, yet wasn't making the best of his grades. She said he knew he could do so much better in an environment where he could better focus.
Her intuition proved right when Jailyn Blake transferred to Seminole State Adult High School and she said he graduated a year early.
"After attending SSC for two terms with a full course load, Jaylin not only drastically improved his GPA, and therefore his prospects and viability for college, he completed all credits and mandatory graduation testing at the conclusion of what would have been his junior year at his previous high school," Sheena Blake said.
She also opened up about her struggles as a teen mom. She said her background motivated her to be a better mother to her children.
"I was a teenage parent for the first time at age 16 and was pregnant with Jaylin when I graduated high school. Being a teenage parent was sobering. It calls for an immediate lifestyle adjustment, becoming selfless, and it will accelerate some growths in you while stymieing others," Sheena Blake said. "Being a teenage parent is not a curse, but rather a blessed opportunity to be close with your child and understand them in a very unique way."
Jaylin Blake plans to attend college at Seminole State College in January and one day become an entrepreneur.
To read more about Seminole State Adult High School, click here:
To read more about Sheena Blake's success story and her advice for other parents, click here.