National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals

There's probably easier ways to make a living, but I want to tell you, on behalf of all of the students in Dallas, we need you. We need you now more than ever.

Dallas Morning News

At 10, Dalton Sherman is a speech-making pro. Since winning a big oratory competition in Dallas last January, he's performed at numerous churches and events all over Dallas. He even opened an event for famed poet Maya Angelou.

"He has the 'it' factor," said Dawn Blair, Dalton's godmother. "Like Tiger has it, Obama has it. You can't put your finger on it."

And since his Wednesday speech, which left many teachers cheering and others in tears, his family has been inundated by phone calls and e-mails.

A talkative kid, Dalton bounces up and down on a couch in his family's home talking about his craft. His parents call it his "gift."

"I try to shake and move when I'm getting ready to go on," Dalton says, while demonstrating his movements. "I walk out there and I'm like here it comes--no turning back now. Then I just begin."

Dalton is a fifth-grader at Charles Rice Learning Center. His family lives down the street from Kimball High School in southern Dallas in a neat ranch house filled with photos. His brother Demosthenes, 13, is an aspiring astronaut and his sister, De'asure Crawford, 22, an accountant.

Dalton is an "A" student, plays basketball and is a blue belt in karate. His favorite books are The Magic Tree House series. He won his first oratory competition in the first grade. His family describes him as energetic and competitive. His motto is "I'm in it to win it."