Pennsauken brothers are back-to-back high valedictorians

PENNSAUKEN, N.J. (AP) — The Estevez family could re-coin the phrase "like father, like son," to become, "like son, like son."

Ronald Estevez and brother Dairon ,sons of immigrants, both have achieved the distinction of being named valedictorians of their senior classes at Pennsauken High School.

Ronald graduated last year as the Class of 2018 valedictorian with the highest grades of the 324 students in his class.

Now the top academic student of 339 in the Class of 2019 is younger brother Dairon, who was scheduled to speak as valedictorian Monday night at Pennsauken's graduation at the Liacouras Center at Temple University in Philadelphia.

"We both worked hard, but I think this came easier for my brother than for me," Dairon said in an interview last week, "because he was number one or tied for it all through high school and I always looked up to him."

Dairon said he was excited but also shocked when he found out at a recent National Honors Society breakfast that he was ranked No. 1 in his class since he had been No. 2 the past several years of high school.

And in another twist, the student he trailed behind but surpassed this year by just a mere fraction of a percentage point in grade point average is his girlfriend, Ngan Chiem, who is the runner-up class salutatorian.

Such a back-to back valedictorian phenomenon with siblings from the same family has never occurred before at the high school, according to the school administration..

"It's just amazing that two brothers have achieved that goal," said assistant principal, Angel-Marie Cook.

Salutatorian Chiem said Dairon embodies not only the qualities of a great student and leader but those of a "great person_resourceful, patient, and putting people at ease with his jokes."

English teacher Francis Stepnowski, who has...