EVERETT, Mass. -- Every two weeks, NewsCenter 5 presents a high school senior who has taken the lessons of the classroom and applied them to life.

This week's A Plus student is Everett High School’s Merima Ikanovic.

NewsCenter 5's Shiba Russell reported that Merima’s father's dream for his children is being realized years after his death. Merima, who was born during the war in Bosnia, is now thriving in Everett.

“Her leadership qualities are outstanding,” Health Teacher Julie Ann Whitson said.

Merima, a captain on the basketball court and among her peers, is a living testament that hard work and resiliency pay off. In the classroom, it’s no different. Her report cards tell the tale of an honor roll regular.

“She's a great citizen here at Everett High School, but she's also a fantastic student,” Whitson added.

“She always has a good way of looking at things and taking things as they come,” Guidance Counselor Paul Enfanto said.

Merima’s drive to succeed has risen from a painful past. In Bosnia, war defined her childhood.

"Every single home was destroyed. There was nothing. Nowhere to go,” Merima related.

When she was just four years old, half of her family was killed.

“My father, my uncles, my grandfather, everybody died,” said Merima.

But she didn’t want her father’s dreams to die too.

“He had hopes for me to succeed. He was educated. He was a teacher and a doctor,” Merima said. “So I'm always motivated to be better than I actually am doing. And everything in my life makes me stronger and makes me do better.”

“Her living through all those things has made her extremely strong as a young lady,” said Enfanto. “And there isn’t any doubt in my mind that she’ll have nothing but really good success.”

If you know a special student who truly makes a difference in his or her classroom, e-mail us your nomination. Please include your phone number.