Student Has Had Perfect Attendance for 11 Years

An Agoura High School student and cross-country runner certainly knows the true meaning of stamina. Junior Eric Derossett has never missed a day of school in 11 years.

What’s more, Derossett has managed to maintain his perfect attendance even while enrolled in summer school the last three years.

“Everyone thinks that I just don’t get sick, but it just seems to be very well timed,” Derossett said.

The soon-to-be-senior, who attended and A.E. Wright Middle School, said he never planned on making it this far in his academic career with perfect attendance.

“I went all through elementary school without getting sick and then I just kind of kept going," Derossett said. “I never made an attempt to do it, it just fell into place.”

While Derossett said he has gone to school mildly sick and has asked his parents to plan vacations so they did not interfere with school, for the most part he has just been lucky.

“I’m not really sure how I do it, honestly. I guess I just have good genes,” Derossett said.

Derossett's step-father, Ernie Roberts, said he is amazed at his son's tenacity.

"I just don't ever remember him being really sick, or he would get sick on weekends," Roberts said. "I recall when he was in eighth grade, his mother and I wanted to plan a trip to Big Bear. He told us, 'I can't go, I have to go to school.' So, we changed our plans."

Though he is still undecided on a possible career, Derossett intends to look at different University of California schools this summer, including UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly, San Luis Obisbo.

What he has decided is that he plans to maintain his perfect attendance for his senior year.

And his advice for other students wanting to follow in his footsteps?

“Don’t overreact with little things and not go to school because of them,” he said. “Seriously, stay home only if there’s something really wrong [with you].”