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Carolyn Rice had perfect attendance kindergarten through college. (Jennifer M. Howell/News-Sentinel)
She never missed a day
How did Acampo resident Carolyn Rice maintain perfect attendance from kindergarten — all the way through college?
The year was 1992.
George H.W. Bush was president. Boyz II Men's "End of the Road" was Billboard's No. 1 hit. "Roseanne," "Murphy Brown" and "Cheers" were a few of the top TV shows.
It was also the year Acampo resident Carolyn Rice entered Oak View School in Acampo. She attended kindergarten through eighth grade. She never missed a single day. She went on to attend Galt High School. Her attendance was perfect. Then she was off to Westmont College. Again, she was there every day.
In a couple of weeks, she will be headed to Israel to attend medical school. She intends keep her perfect attendance another four years.
How did she do it? Was it her drive? Determination? Or, did she just never get sick?
It all started in first grade when the class was given an assignment to make a goal for themselves.
Rice said her goal was to keep her perfect attendance.
"After that, it just became something I wanted to do," said the 22-year-old. "Once I made it through 8th grade, I figured I might as well keep going."
There were days when she was tired. Worn out. Didn't feel like going to school. But she was enticed by incentives. The teachers would give out certificates to Baskin Robbins. And, her parents would offer encouragement.
"I'm very proud of her achievement," said her mother, Regina Rice. "She set her goals and went for them."
Somehow, Carolyn Rice managed to escape illness except during the holidays. She explained that each Christmas break from the 2nd through 4th grade, she got the flu, but it would be gone before school started back up again.
Bill Chiechi served as principal of Oak View for 28 years, nine of them while Carolyn Rice was attending the school. He said he hadn't seen any other student go through the school with perfect attendance.
When she graduated from Galt High School in 2005, he was invited to attend the ceremony. During the graduation, she was given a plaque recognizing her four years of perfect attendance. When she graduated from Westmont College in May, Chiechi said Carolyn's father contacted him to let him know she had kept her record.
"This, of course, is a remarkable achievement," he said. It speaks to Carolyn's honor and determination, as well as her good health," he said in an e-mail.
Chiechi compared her attendance to a lead article he saw about a month ago on Yahoo! News, where a young woman had graduated from high school with 13 years of perfect attendance. He felt this recognition on the front page of an international Web site was extraordinary.
"I thought of Carolyn at that time, hoping that she received some notoriety for her 17 years," he said. "I'd say Carolyn's 17 years was clearly something that is indeed rare."
From the beginning, Carolyn was a good student, said Regina Rice. She recalled a time when Carolyn forgot her homework at the bus stop. She got to school in tears and called Regina, who then brought her homework to her. The teacher said she had never seen a kid so upset about turning in their homework, she said.
Carolyn Rice smiled while looking back on the incident.
"I was absolutely mortified the teacher would be disappointed in me," she said.
Chiechi remembers how she gave her best to anything she did.
"I do not remember ever hearing about an effort she put into academics, athletics or toward her relationships with family and friends that was below her best," he said.
Though she admits to struggling in math, overall Carolyn Rice enjoyed school and learning.
"There are so many things I don't know and want to know — things about the world going on around me," she said.
Carolyn also excelled in sports, specifically soccer and volleyball. In high school, she was active in a number of clubs including the Key Club, Warriors for Christ and the California Scholarship Federation. Regina Rice felt her daughter sometimes pushed herself too hard keeping up with her activities and trying to get the best grades. She would tell her to relax if she got a B on a paper. Or she would tell her to drop volleyball. Carolyn would tell her she could do it all, she said.
At her graduation from college, Carolyn received her bachelor's degree in anthropology and biology. She explained that she enjoyed studying about people. She's enthralled with learning about cultures.
As a young girl, Carolyn Rice remembers telling her parents she wanted to become a doctor to take care of people in far away countries. This remains her lifelong dream. She longs to take medical care to remote places that don't receive a lot of aid. She wants to bring healing to the people — emotionally, spiritually and physically.
In a few weeks, Carolyn Rice will be leaving for Israel to attend medical school. Will she be able to keep her perfect attendance for the next four years?
"I would love to," she said. "I've been blessed so far in being able to keep it going."
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Lodian wrote on Jul 13, 2009 3:13 PM:
edumacation wrote on Jul 12, 2009 1:28 PM:
Have you already learned another language for your trip? "
wtf wrote on Jul 12, 2009 1:01 PM:
The Foreign Ministry unveiled a new plan this week: Paying talkbackers to post pro-Israel responses on websites worldwide. A total of NIS 600,000 (roughly $150,000) will be earmarked to the establishment of an “Internet warfare” squad.
http://desertpeace.wordpress.com/2009/07/12/israeli-thought-police-declare-all-out-war-on-the-web/ "
wtf wrote on Jul 12, 2009 11:25 AM:
1143 wrote on Jul 12, 2009 10:43 AM:
lodivice wrote on Jul 12, 2009 10:33 AM:
anayud wrote on Jul 11, 2009 9:23 PM:
As a Zionist, I am confident you will be welcomed in Israel. You do have to be concerned with anti-Semites in this country who support the Neo-Nazi enemies of the state of Israel. Again, great accomplishment. Enjoy medical school and Israel. "
wtf wrote on Jul 11, 2009 8:55 PM:
Guess it's because they're supposed to be our "friends"
Video at bottom of the page
http://www.ricenpeas.com/2009/July/cynthia_mckinney_intvw.html "
gatemom wrote on Jul 11, 2009 7:25 PM:
wowerzz wrote on Jul 11, 2009 8:23 AM:
Comments on this story are now closed.