Third Grade: Eric Manzo

Published online on Friday, May. 16, 2008

Eric Manzo dreams of becoming a teacher, and he's already helped his little sister catch up and excel in kindergarten.

Eric's grades and work ethic led to him being chosen as the third-grade Academic All-Star. His helpful nature led him to tutoring his sister, 5-year-old Isela, in reading and math. He works with her at home.

"I did it so she could learn more," said Eric, a student at American Union Elementary, a country school southwest of downtown Fresno. Isela started kindergarten last fall lagging in literacy skills, and now she's reading at a first-grade level and is at the top of the class, said her teacher, Michelle Blackburn.

Eric's teacher, Samuel Mendez, has high praise for Eric. "He's just a child of great character, obviously intelligent and a natural lover of learning."

Spanish is Eric's first language, and he often translates for his mother. "What I like about myself is that I am bilingual," Eric wrote in an essay this year.

An English language learner who's on grade level in both reading and math, Eric said he's proud to help his sister, and to volunteer during recess in a first grade class where he corrects and files papers.

He's also proud of a citizenship award he got this year for showing respect to his classmates. He showed respect to Fresno Mayor Alan Autry, who read "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss to Eric's class earlier this year.

Eric wrote appreciatively about Autry as part of a class assignment.

"I enjoyed you reading to me because you read it with feeling," Eric wrote.