Williams said he learned the Heimlich maneuver by watching SpongeBob Squarepants.

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"He picks up on things that most of us would miss, and files it all away in his head, and he can recall it all in an instant," said Brandon's father Anthony.

The class held a party for both Brandon, and the girl he saved.

Some of the adults in the school said Brandon is a hero and deserves a medal, but he disagrees.

"I don't need a medal. I'm good, I'm good," Brandon said.

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Public Service Commission candidate Peter Hubbard gets a hug from Brionté McCorkle, executive director of Georgia Conservation Voters, during an election-night party in Southwest Atlanta on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025.  (Ben Gray for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Gray for the AJC