Academic All-Stars-5311

Published January 24, 2013

This award is given to students who exhibit a positive attitude and a commitment to excellence in the classroom. Each Academic All-Star is chosen by his or her principal and receives a $10 gift card to Sonic Drive-In and a free gift courtesy of Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More in Franklin.

Raegan Peluso - Hillsboro School (Elementary)

Sweet, generous and hardworking. That's how teachers at Hillsboro School describe fifth grade student Raegan Peluso. Raegan was recently selected to be Hillsboro's Academic All-Star for grades K through five.

Having attended Hillsboro since kindergarten, Raegan says she feels lucky to be surrounded by so many wonderful teachers.

"My teachers really inspire me and push me to work hard," said Raegan. "I know that school is really important in life and I just like what we learn here."

Raegan even credits one of her former teachers with helping her discover a possible career path.

"I want to be a writer when I grow up," said Raegan. "I really like writing fictional stories and my teacher inspired me in third grade because we had a lot of writing prompts."

Raegan's love for literature extends well beyond the classroom doors. When she's not in school, Raegan spends much of her free time reading, writing or hanging out with her family.

"I like to read, especially fiction," said Raegan. "I also like to write, draw and spend time with my family playing board games."

Talia Sagginario - Hillsboro School (Middle)

Hillsboro Eighth Grader Talia Sagginario has been selected as the school's Academic All-Star for grades six through eight.

While Talia is well known for her warm smile and personality, administrators say it's her determination to succeed and hard work in the classroom that earned her this special honor.

Talia began attending Hillsboro in third grade but left for a few years to be homeschooled. She says she feels fortunate to be back at such a wonderful school.

"The teachers are amazing here and the theater program is unbelievable especially with the new theater," said Talia. "The teachers are just hands on and they're so great to their students."

While Talia's favorite subject is science, her true passion belongs to the school's theater program. Talia says she dreams of being an actor when she grows up and is looking forward to the school's upcoming production of Fiddler on the Roof.

"I just appreciate my school so much because I just feel like I'm getting a really great education here at Hillsboro," said Talia. "I'm really grateful for the school I have and so it makes me want to work hard and achieve my goals."