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 Boston International High School's Abdoul Diallo.

NewsCenter 5's Shiba Russell reported that Diallo, 18, emigrated from the poor underdeveloped West African country of Burkina Faso in 2004 to live with his sisters. His mother sent him to the United States to get a better education.

When he arrived in Boston he had to start from scratch and learn English by reading, writing and watching cartoons.

"It was kind of interesting at first and then also the language level is kind of not really hard and it's kind of easy to understand," said Abdoul.

Six months later, Abdoul scored proficient in English on the 10th grade MCAS. Today the soccer team captain is top of his class of 40.

"He just has a voracious appetite for learning, he stays after school, he reads independently. When he first got here he told me right away I want to go to college," said Headmaster Oscar Santos.

Abdoul also wants to help his sister pay the bills and send money back home to West Africa. Nearly every school day, 25 to 30 hours a week, he works at a Back Bay restaurant.

"I can sit down at night until 1 to 2 in the morning doing my homework and then wake up at 6 in the morning to come to school," Abdoul said.

"He's tired, there's times when his eyes are half shut and he just looks looks spent," said guidance counselor and soccer coach Tim Likosky.

Despite his busy class and work schedule, Abdoul still finds time to knock on doors and raise funds for community service trips to New Orleans, Honduras, Saint Croix and many other locations.

"It connects me back home, so a lot of people will need help but there's no help. I can't do anything and coming here and getting this opportunity to help them I just grabbed it," said Abdoul.

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.