You may have seen him scurrying his way through the halls carrying his two industrial-grade, crush resistant, aluminum lunch boxes, along with his favorite Rubix cube and Seroogy chocolate bars. Julian Camacho, age 13, attends Homestead as a freshman. Some people may argue whether skipping a grade is the right answer for kids due to the pressure that is put on them. Camacho says otherwise. Skipping his seventh grade year, Camacho feels as if he in in the perfect place. “I am challenged a lot by the ninth-grade classes, and am having fun in them,” he said. Not only does Camacho feel like he is in the right spot, but he also says, “I feel no more pressure than any other student in the 10th grade would; my size and age don’t matter”

Camacho scored a 36 composite score on the ACT in eighth grade, as well as in all four sections on the test. How can someone so young do so well and stay so concentrated in school? His answer is simple. “I have always loved reading and read whatever I can get my hands on,” Camacho said.

“Reading helps children enormously with their vocabulary and forms a habit that causes your brain to think and concentrate,” Ken Pugh, PhD, professor in the Department of Psychology at University of Connecticut, said. According to Camacho, ever since he was a baby, the only thing that could calm him down was for someone to read to him–especially his favorite, Curious George and the Rocket Ship.

Camacho said that his parents play a huge role regarding his concentration and mindset towards school. They have a mantra of “work before play.” Everyday when he comes home from school, he must do all of his homework and practice cello before anything else.

Besides school work and participating in Homestead’s orchestra, Camacho has a lot to be proud of, and it’s more than just the letters in the grade book. He participates on the math and robotics teams and even helps coach Lakeshore middle school’s math team.

“Julian’s perseverance in solving a problem, no matter its size, never seizes to amaze me. His mind can reach an answer before I can even fully comprehend what is being asked. He trained his mind to do what is, for me, nearly impossible in terms of mental capacity and speed, and I only wish that I could be as successful as he was, is, and will continue to be,” Shir Bloch, freshman, explains. If he had to choose something he is the most proud of, it would be the robot he is working on and his first award from a math competition that he earned in the fourth grade. “In general, I tend to be proud of the effort I invest in a task instead of the prize at the end,” Camacho said.

Camacho has big plans for the future. With an interest in building and flying virtual rockets, and with math as his strongest subject, Camacho wants to pursue something that combines his interests of math and science, such as engineering. “My current dream is to become an aerospace engineer. This could change though,” Camacho said. Camacho is not the only child in his family who has skipped a grade. The members of the Camacho family continue to challenge themselves in learning, with his brother, who is currently in the seventh grade, recently skipping the fifth grade. Both Camacho kids prove that age does not define the level of intelligence one can attain; rather, the effort that one puts forth is more important.