Going to high school in a beautiful location might make it difficult to choose class and studying over a day at the beach. But one Hawaiian student with near-superhuman self-discipline (and likely a very strong immune system) will be graduating this year with perfect attendance -- not just for the year, but for the past 13 years.
Seventeen-year-old Ciara Cetraro from Kona, Hawaii has resisted the temptation to ditch class, or even just stay home with a cold, since kindergarten, according to West Hawaii Today. She is set to graduate next month with a flawless attendance record, nearing 2,000 school days in a row.
The diligent student told West Hawaii Today:
“I never did this for the recognition or awards. It’s always been a personal choice and a hard habit to break. School is very important to me and I like it. [...] By not missing a single day of school, I get the opportunity to build on and broaden my knowledge.”
In Ohio, a high school senior with an unusual attendance situation also made headlines last month. With 16 unexcused absences due to taking care of his mother -- who is battling Stage IV cancer -- Ohio teen Austin Fisher was two absences over the school's limit and was told that he couldn't walk at graduation. But after Austin and his community challenged the school administration by starting a "FISH WILL WALK" social media campaign, which got nearly 100,000 people to sign a change.org petition, the school board overturned their decision.
And in Los Angeles, a group of high school students recently took a stand against truancy tickets. Local policemen were showing up at local high schools, giving late students steep fines and court dates. But the teens fought the law, and they won -- the legislation was updated so that students could not receive truancy tickets during the first hour of school.