Congratulations to Ben Smith, who was voted teacher of the month by his coworkers. Ben Smith began working at Excelsior in July 2002. Ben claims it was “luck and fate, and my association with a few excelsior employees that persuaded me to apply for a job at the school”. In April 1977, Ben began to study kung-fu with his brother at the age of 13. When asked why he chose to study the martial art, he replied "It was the fad of the time due to the Bruce Lee and other martial art movies." We also asked Ben why he had chosen to stay at the school and to comment on his favorite part of being here. He stated that he enjoys watching kids grow and progress while achieving their dreams and academic goals. He also stated that “The students here are no different from students at other schools, but that it’s the friendlier, respectful, and open relations between staff and student that encourages kids to behave better here than they would in a more restrictive environment.”
