What if you could have a superpower? Would you want to fly like a bird? Run as fast as a cheetah? What if you could read people’s minds?
Reisli Maldonado Quintero says she has a superpower. The nine-year-old is bilingual! That means she knows two languages. The fourth-grader from Norwalk, Connecticut, can speak, read, and write in English and Spanish.
Earlier this year, Reisli came in first place in a national essay contest for bilingual students. She wrote about why being bilingual is her superpower.
As part of her prize, Reisli won $500 and an iPad. And she got the chance to let people know what’s so special about being bilingual.
Reisli is among the more than 67 million people in the United States who speak more than one language. She says the skill helps her to get to know kids from many backgrounds. Being bilingual also allows Reisli to help her family figure out life in a new country.