Goodrich-She’s no Ferris Bueller; Goodrich High School student Lauren Czap has never taken a day off from school.
Not for a cold, not to get out of a test, not to take a three-day weekend with her family’not even for senior skip day. For 13 years, Czap has faithfully attended her classes, with no motivation other than just to prove that she could.
‘My friends call me a loser,? Czap says with a laugh when asked how her peers react to her perfect attendance. ‘Most of them either can’t believe it or they think I’m really weird for not skipping when I feel bad or when there’s a big test coming up.?
Czap says she first decided to pursue the perfect attendance goal when she made it through second grade without missing any classes. Her perfect record was still intact when she transferred from Lapeer to Goodrich Schools in seventh grade.
‘It’s been pretty difficult because there have been some days when I was sick or there’s been a big test that I didn’t want to take or a family vacation? but I still couldn’t miss school,? says Czap.
Her parents made sacrifices too, deciding not to go on family vacations if it meant Czap would have to stray from her goal.
‘They couldn’t go and do their three-day weekends and they couldn’t take vacations. They’re planning vacations now that I’m out of school,? says Czap.
Although she says there were days when she felt under the weather at school, Czap says she was never sick to the extent that school was not an option.
‘Thankfully, most of when I got really sick was on holidays, which kind of wrecked the holidays but that meant I could still go to school,? says Czap.
Czap is slated to graduate with the rest of the GHS class of 2007 on June 10.
Now that she’s headed to Central Michigan University? and eventually graduate school? to pursue a career as an oral surgeon, Czap says she has no intention of breaking her attendance streak.
Despite the sacrifices she has made to achieve her perfect record, Czap says it was all worth her while.
‘I think it’s been worth it; I think it kept me on track,? says Czap. ‘By having that goal, it makes sure I go and I study for the test instead of just skipping out on things.?
Czap has a bit of advice for any other students considering the pursuit of perfect attendance.
‘Just keep sticking with it,? says Czap. ‘It is possible. Although there are days when you don’t want to get out of bed, just pull yourself out of bed and keep going.?