AUBURN - A graduating high school senior from the Jordan-Elbridge Central School District will have something else to be proud of when she receives her diploma.

Marie Gravius, 18, of Memphis has perfect attendance going beyond high school, beyond middle school, going back to the fourth grade.

But it wasn't easy maintaining that perfect record.

“Luckily I never got sick,” said the Cayuga-Onondaga Board of Cooperative Educational Services New Visions Teacher Education student.

And all out of school appointments needed to be arranged after 10 a.m.

“It was kind of a hassle in the beginning, but later it got better,” she said.

Gravius is not the first to achieve a perfect attendance record. Her brother Justin's record goes back to fifth grade. In a friendly game of one-upmanship, Gravius had her eye on beating his record.

“I thought it would be cool to beat him by one year,” she said.

She wasn't aware of the spotless record until middle school, she said, and since that point made a conscious effort to maintain it.

Through doing so she was able to maintain a high level of education as she was present everyday.

“If you miss one day of school - or even a half a day - it's like you missed a week,” she said.

And just because she's graduating and moving on to Cayuga Community College doesn't mean she's going to leave her habits behind.

“My father always says, ‘Once you start something you are always going to finish it,'” she said. “It's important to be there every day so you don't miss out on anything.”

Staff writer Alyssa sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net