Most of the students in Sandra Adlouni's first-grade class are barely learning to read.
So when Benjamin Guerrero Jr. -- who started learning English in kindergarten -- read the directions in his math book at the beginning of first grade, his teacher was shocked.
"That just blew me away," she said. Most students "can barely do it now and we're in the eighth month."
Benjamin has continued to impress his teacher and others, picking up certificates of achievement for academics, group leadership and citizenship.
He tutors his 5-year-old brother, helps out at the family's store and translates for his parents when they need him.
Benjamin Guerrero Jr. is the first grade winner of this year's Academic All-Star award.
See all nominees and print certificatesAbout 95% of Adlouni's students are English learners. They often struggle to learn the language and keep up with academic standards, she said.
Growing up in a home where English is not the primary language hasn't slowed Benjamin down at school, Adlouni said.
The talkative child would ask questions and listen to her answers all day long if she had the time, she said.
"He's so inquisitive," he said. "He just wants to know everything. He just absorbs what he hears."
Benjamin already knows what he wants to be when he grows up, though that might change between now and graduation. For now, he wants to be "a policeman, because I can put robbers in jail."
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2008 Academic All-Stars
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