SHREWSBURY, MA (WBZ/CNN) - A high school graduate in Massachusetts gets an A + for attendance. Zachary Baldino has not missed a single day of school in 12 years.
Baldino of Shrewsbury is enjoying some well-earned rest and relaxation. He just graduated from Assabet Valley Regional Tech over the weekend, an achievement he's literally been working for non-stop. “I haven't missed a day of school since kindergarten," he said on Thursday.
He had no sick days, and not even a mental health day, in more than 12 years. "Luckily enough when I got sick I got sick on either the weekend or on the school vacation. So I was like 'OK school vacation, I'm fine, I can deal with it,'" the student said.
Zach's proud parents knew their kindergartner loved learning when he'd stare out the window on snow days. "He would see the buses going by and he'd be like 'there's school today, I know there's school today. I see buses out. I have go to school,'" Kristi Baldino said of her son.
Even as a sleepy teenager, not a single tardy could tarnish his perfect record. "Take this long in the shower, I still have this much time to eat. Halfway through senior year I knew every back road to the school. I knew if something happened on one street I could get to the school still on time,” the student said.
He says the commitment was simple, when he looked at each and every lesson as an investment in his future.
"I didn't even think about perfect attendance. I was just thinking school, school, school because education is the most important thing," the student said.
Zach will not be taking a graduation break for too long. He plans to start working this summer, to save up to go to school for video production or journalism.
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