ACES Faces Feature: Meet Saw Nee
Saw Nee is a 5th grader at Prodeo Academy who brings focus, friendliness, and a love of sports to ACES every day. Whether he’s building creative math projects, talking strategy with friends, or dreaming about his future on the soccer field, Saw Nee approaches every challenge with positive energy and determination.
A Friendly Place to Learn and Grow
Saw Nee first heard about ACES from a friend back in 3rd grade, and once he joined, he was excited to learn alongside people he already knew. One word he uses to describe ACES? “Friendly.”
What keeps him coming back is the combination of learning and experiences beyond the classroom. His favorite parts of ACES are “the math skills we are learning and the field trips,” especially a visit to Minnesota United FC STEM Day, where students learned how sports and science connect and even met a professional soccer player.
Confidence Through Challenge
Saw Nee is especially proud of his recent academic growth. “I met both of my goals in NWEA,” he shares of his Math assessment score. “I scored higher than I hoped!”
ACES has helped him feel more confident in math by reinforcing what he’s learning during the school day. “We get to practice what we are learning in my regular math class,” he explains. From multiplying decimals during a Jeopardy-style game to designing concession stands during the Behind the Scenes unit, Saw Nee enjoys projects that let him think creatively.
“It was really fun to be creative in that moment,” he says. “I think lots of people would come to my stand to buy my cheap foods.”
When he completes a challenge, Saw Nee says he feels “happy and positive energy”, a feeling that keeps him motivated to take on what’s next.
Learning Through Sports
Sports play a big role in Saw Nee’s ACES experience. He appreciates how lessons connect athletics to real-world math and science concepts, like force and velocity in baseball. He’s also enjoyed learning about professional athletes during field trips, including a visit to Target Field.
Saw Nee likes both playing and watching football and soccer, and he hopes to learn more about new sports this year, especially lacrosse. If ACES were a sports team, he’d choose to be a defender or linebacker. “Being a defender is really helpful for the team,” he says.
His favorite professional athlete is Cristiano Ronaldo, whom he admires for always trying his best and showing respect to his teammates.
Looking Ahead
Saw Nee dreams of one day playing soccer for a high school team, or even coaching one. He believes ACES is helping him reach those goals by teaching him how to work through challenges. “Challenges are hard to solve,” he says, “but once you know how to do it, you could do it in the real world or on a test.”
With his thoughtful mindset, strong work ethic, and commitment to learning, Saw Nee is a wonderful example of what happens when students are engaged, supported, and empowered.