A ‘perfect’ record

Benjamin Czerwin, a senior at Oceanside High School, has achieved one of those rare feats that not many students can easily pull off: A perfect attendance record — it's literally flawless. The Herald caught up with Czerwin recently, a soon-to-be physics major, who has a second-degree black belt in martial arts. He spoke to us about how he managed to achieve perfect attendance, what he's going to miss about Oceanside High — and reveals whether or not he’s ever sent an impostor to a class to say that he was present.

How does one achieve perfect attendance?

My perfect attendance record is a culmination of all my years in school, from kindergarten to the twelfth grade. This includes never having been late for school. In the fifth grade, I was lucky enough to be on Good Morning America — for my TKD school — at 6:00 a.m. in Long Beach, and even on that day, I made it to school with time to spare.

Was it important for you to have perfect attendance?

My perfect attendance record was never really something I thought about. If there were school that day, I went. I believe that attitude has helped me in many other aspects of my life and has helped make me a person that people know they can count on.

Your brother, Adam, had perfect attendance as well. Any sibling rivalry there, or did he simply inspire you?

There was no sibling rivalry. My brother, who graduated last year, is as proud of me as I am of him. As a matter of fact, my younger brother David, who is now in the ninth grade, hopes to hold the same distinction when it is his turn to graduate in a few years.

Would you say that your parents instilled a strong work ethic in their children?

I would have to say that I learned by example, the importance of treating my school day with the same dedication and commitment as my parents treat their work day. However, our entire family prides itself in balance. We work hard and we play hard and I think that is part of what made being on time, and being in school every day, easier than one might think. No over-worked, stressed-out student here. Just a student with a good foundation who looks forward to expanding on that in my adult education in college.