When his school rallied to vote him homecoming king this past weekend, a Florida high school senior with cerebral palsy responded with a surprise of his own. He took his very first steps in public.

Hakam Daley has always relied on a wheelchair and just making his way through the halls of St. Lucie West Centennial High School in Port St. Lucie, Fla. is a struggle.

When it came time for homecoming, Daley’s friend Kayla Donohue wanted to give him a special experience. Donohue, who is a cheerleader at the school, secretly lobbied her classmates to nominate Daley for homecoming court.

On Friday when he was named part of the court, Daley surprised everyone when he stood up with the help of his caregivers to take his place alongside the most popular kids at school.

“When I heard the message, I had no words to describe,” Daley told CNN. “I was so happy.”