Student Marks 13 Years of Perfect Attendance

Even among this month’s outstanding high school graduates, Enrique Sosa stands out.

Not for what he’s done this year, or even the past four years.

No, Enrique stands out for what he has done every school day for the past 13 years: Show up.

He is the first student in the Garden Grove Unified School District and among the few anywhere to have perfect attendance, starting from his first nervous day of kindergarten. He graduates Tuesday from Santiago High School.

“I got chickenpox when I was in the first or second grade, but it was during Christmas vacation and I was well when it was time to go to school,” Sosa, 17, said.

But despite his excellent grade-point average of 3.7 and his responsible attitude toward schooling, Enrique won’t show up for school any more. He has decided to join the Army instead of going to college.

Sosa was in fifth grade when he first noticed that he had never missed a day. An attendance award in sixth grade made him determined to keep the streak going.

Officials in several Orange County school districts, including Garden Grove, say they can’t remember any other perfect records.

“I like being at school,” Sosa said. “The classes are hard, but it’s better than being at home sleeping or watching TV. I don’t like to waste time.”

Principal Don Wise only realized last month what the senior had accomplished.

“He came up to me about two weeks before our senior awards dinner and asked if we recognized people with perfect attendance,” the principal said. “I never heard of such a critter, and if there was, we’d probably name the school after him.”

The school name remains unchanged, but Wise saw to it that Sosa received a plaque.

School officials tried to convince him to apply to college, but Sosa already has enlisted.

“I was sort of tired of school,” he said. “I liked school, but I didn’t want to spend another eight years of my life going to school.”