BOSTON -- Every two weeks, NewsCenter 5 presents a high school senior who has taken the lessons of the classroom and applied them to life.

This Week's A Plus student is Lowell High School's Katy Nowoswiat.

NewsCenter 5's Shiba Russell reported that Katy's natural aptitude for language has taken her many places, including Spain. She plans on studying Spanish in college too, but don't expect her to stop there.

"I want to become fluent. I want to master a couple of languages," said Katy.

"In my class, in Spanish class she clearly has a gift for languages. When she's pronouncing Spanish, she has a very natural Spanish accent. She's not afraid to speak out loud in class," said Spanish teacher Erica Smith.

Her outspokenness has served her well at Lowell High School. She currently ranks six in her class of nearly 800.

"She is working hard. She has to be working hard," said Smith.

Katy is excelling with a condition most people don't know about. Just before her third birthday, she was diagnosed with cancer in her left eye, which had caused glaucoma and vision loss.

"[My family was] really worried. But they were just always praying for the best. My sister was just born literally, she was 5 weeks old when I had the operation."

Her operation was successful and young Katy was cancer free, with 20/20 vision in her right eye and a glass eye in her left eye.

"Being so young I don't really think I understood what had happened until later. I have no depth perception and walk into things a lot, but it doesn't make me [exempt from doing] anything," she said.

She also plays the clarinet for her school band.

"Once you play the music a few times you know what to expect of the notes and they just come out in your fingers rather than you have to read them," said Katy.

Katy is also an integral part of her school's crew team. Last year, she captained them to two championships.

"As a captain, she knows how to be a leader. And everyone listens to her," said best friend Mary Silk.

"You can do anything you want no matter what. There shouldn't be anything that stands in your way," said Katy.

If you know a special student who truly makes a difference in his or her classroom, e-mail us your nomination. Please include your phone number.