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Eighth Grade: Chloe Doyle
Chloe Doyle has a fun-sounding voice that is easy to remember.
She played a 1920s nightclub singer in “Charleston,” the Ranchos Middle School production in May. She sang the song, “Hey, Big Spender,” and tossed her hips.
Singing, however, is at the back of a long line of things she does well. She says she wants to become a psychologist when she grows up. She got the idea after studying how the brain works for the Madera County Academic Pentathlon competition.
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Ninth Grade: Jordan Jensen
Jordan Jensen may be only 4 foot, 11 inches tall, but she stands out in any crowd.
She has won gold medals for doing flips, flying twists and other acrobatic feats.
She also has earned straight A’s in subjects such as biology, Algebra II and honors English and is a key member of her school’s dive, dance and acrobatic gymnastics teams.
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A decade of achievement
In 1996, The Fresno Bee launched an annual feature to honor the best and brightest students in the Central Valley.
Judges -- teachers and newspaper staff members -- selected a dozen "Academic All-Stars," one for each of the 12 grade levels. Students were chosen based on academic achievement, community involvement and leadership.
This year, more than a decade later, we decided to catch up with our first class of winners. Where are they now?
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Sixth Grade: Katelyn Krezman
Katelyn Krezman once sold 400 boxes of Girl Scout cookies using hard work and a simple philosophy.
“Aim high and try not to bother them if they don’t want to buy,” she said simply.
Katelyn has always aimed high both at school and in life.
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SIXTH GRADE: SAIRA DELGADO
Sitting still doesn't sit well with sixth-grader Saira Delgado -- she's an upbeat, petite dynamo who thrives on challenges.
Here's just a taste of her interests and accomplishments: She has a 4.0 grade-point average at Sanger Academy Charter School and serves as a peer mediator. She focuses her energy into all kinds of academic contests, from science fairs to spelling bees. She plays the piano and clarinet and composes music. She's earned a green belt in karate.
"I like being kind of preoccupied and busy," said Saira (pronounced Sigh-ra). "I just can't stand sitting around and doing nothing, so it feels good to be active. And I feel this is going to help me in life."
Eighth-grader Marisa Moraza has a 4.37 grade-point average and numerous academic and music honors, but said she's most proud of winning her classmates' respect.
Marisa, 13, was named Bulldog of the Year at Cherry Avenue Middle School in Tulare in both the sixth and seventh grades, an honor bestowed on a boy and girl each year by vote of their peers.
When asked why she won the award, Marisa said: "Maybe because my peers think of me as trustworthy, respectful and responsible."
Lynn Stafford, Marisa's honors language arts teacher, said she suspects her classmates chose her as Bulldog of the Year -- twice -- because she's not only an excellent student, but also involved in a variety of activities and willing to take charge in an unassuming way.
Stafford, who nominated Marisa to be an Academic All-Star, said she's watched her emerge as the spokesperson during group assignments: "She's quiet, but she ends up being the leader, even with all these honors students."
Stafford also described Marisa as a "go-getter."
"She challenges herself constantly. She goes above and beyond," Stafford said.
Marisa plans to attend a University of California campus but has not decided on a career. Marisa said her most cherished awards were the Bulldog of the Year and Fresno Bee Academic All-Star designations, and being named to the honor jazz and honor concert bands for Tulare and Kings counties.
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