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Two Estero High students set to graduate with perfect attendance
After 720 days, 5,040 classes and 4,680 hours of classes, two Estero High Wildcats are graduating Monday night with perfect attendance at Germain Arena.
Erica Hood, 18, and Jennafer Griffith, 19, gave up extended vacations, sick days and plain old hooky for four years and are now the only two students in a class of nearly 400 to have never missed a day of high school.
“Jennafer is a dream child,” said her mother, Chris Griffith.
“She has worked very, very hard,” said Hood’s stepfather, Jim Politano.
Hood played in the school’s marching, jazz and concert bands, worked 20 to 30 hours a week for Royal Scoop Homemade Ice Cream and participated in Knowledge Masters Open Trivia, National Honor Society and the math team.
Griffith, an Estero High cheerleader, also participated in National Honor Society, serving as historian her senior year.
Neither of the students claimed to set the achievement as a goal. Both said they pursued perfect attendance because it made school easier.
“I just loved all high school, it was so much fun and I figured if I ever missed a day it would be twice as hard to make it up,” Griffith said. “So I just toughed it out if I was sick or what not.”
Overall, the two, who share a course together, reported little difficulty in achieving their goal.
“I think the worst part of it was when I was sick or really tired,” Hood said. “Of course, I’d miss the bus and have to get a ride to school. But after a while, you know, you just get used to it.”
Griffith never even got sick during school days, somehow always waiting until breaks from school to feel under the weather.
“She’s very efficient,” reported Griffith’s mother.
Griffith’s twin brother John, also graduating Monday, said his sister’s accomplishment is “awesome.” He said he had more time for work without achieving perfect attendance.
“I wonder how they can do it,” said fellow senior Jeb Miners, an acquaintance of Hood’s who admitted taking a few extended vacations during his time at the school. “They must have great immune systems.”
Both students will pursue a college degree in the fall. Griffith plans on attending Florida Gulf Coast University and Hood will attend Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts.
Neither plans on skipping class.
Estero High School graduation
Œ When: Monday, 7:30 p.m.
Œ Where: Germain Arena
Œ Who: 390 students

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