Senior has perfect attendance
North Central High School senior Courtney Ramsey is the poster child for the “it’s cool to stay in school,” campaign.
The 17-year-old hasn’t missed a day of school in 12 years. Not one.
She has a plaque from Garfield Elementary School where she attended kindergarten through sixth grade, and certificates from Glover Middle School where she finished seventh and eighth grades with perfect attendance.
“I just really love school, so it’s never been a problem,” Ramsey said. She hopes her habit will continue next year, when she attends Washington State University where she plans to study nursing. She was also accepted to Whitworth College and St. Mary’s College in California.
“I think it will be a lot easier for me (to attend class every day) because I do that already,” Ramsey said.
The teen’s goal of never missing a day of school sprouted sometime in elementary school, when she saw an interview on the NBC “Today” show with a student who had also never missed a day of school.
“I thought, ‘I can do that,’ ” Ramsey said.
She never had any illnesses that prevented her from going to school. She had the chicken pox before kindergarten and remembers having the flu only a couple of times, “on the weekend,” she said.
It’s also possible that she was too busy during her high school years to be absent.
She’s been a member of the National Honor Society all four years at NC, and a varsity soccer player and a member of the varsity track team. The 400 meter race is her favorite.
“I’ve just always been really active,” Ramsey said. “When I was a kid, I was always involved in everything I could do.”
Ramsey has been a member of the student mentoring group called New Connections, and a member of a peer abstinence group. She was homecoming princess as a freshman, and homecoming royalty two additional years.
She served as the sophomore and junior class secretary, and this year she is the Associated Student Body secretary.
“The fact that Courtney has not missed school is a testament to several things. She loves to learn and she is consistent,” said Rick Haverman, one of Ramsey’s teachers at NC. “Her intrinsic motivation will continue to propel her to success.”