This is the 8646th most frequent Russian word.
отличник
A student who excels academically; an honor student.
Here, 'отличник' is used to denote a student who achieves excellent grades, emphasizing academic achievement.
Он стал отличником в школе.
He became an excellent student in school.
In this sentence, 'отличник' refers to students who are academically excellent and are considered ideal participants for contests.
Отличники часто участвуют в олимпиадах.
Exemplary students often participate in academic competitions.
Here, 'отличник' is used figuratively to highlight not only his academic performance but also his overall demeanor.