13 years of dedication: Columbia Central grad recognized for perfect K-12 attendance

Sydney Castillo has never missed a day of school and to her that’s because attending school is more of an enjoyment than an obligation.

She smiled and shrugged off most of the praise heaped on her this past week after being awarded a Perfect Attendance Award K-12, a most rare award given by Maury County Public Schools.

With a tinge of wit and a smile, Sydney informed us that her senior yearbook quote was, “I’m not perfect, but my attendance is.”

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Educators and school system employees shared their admiration and appreciation for Sydney’s perseverance in her schooling and her parent's Donald and Rosanna Castillo's role in instilling a strong work ethic.

Sydney Castillo’s love for learning has created a recipe for success that motivates her to show up for school every day through the end of her senior year, even through bad days, good days and minor surgery during her tenure as a student.

Growing up, Sydney’s mother Rosanna said that she would sometimes get upset when she remembered it was Saturday, and she didn’t get to go to school.

“She worked so hard to get to this,” Rosanna said.

Never missing a day of school was, from Sydney’s perspective, "getting to" go to school, rather than "having to" go.

School board members honored Sydney’s accomplishment at this month’s board meeting with an award plaque.

“This is a great example of how parent dedication plays out in the education of the student,” school board chairman, Michael Fulbright said. “It’s really an honor to recognize them for this. It’s not every year that we see this.”

Maury County Director of Pupil Services, Jeff Richey, who is in charge of student attendance stopped in to express his gratitude for Sydney setting an example for her peers.

"After the worst parts of COVID, we’ve struggled with chronic absenteeism. It’s an issue; it really is,” Richey said. “So whenever a student makes such a tremendous accomplishment, it needs to be bragged on, celebrated.”

"The question I want to ask, is… why?” Richey said during a recent visit with Sydney.

Sydney’s response?

“Who wouldn’t want to go to school,” she said.

With every class being a little different, it’s not just the academics she enjoys but the different people she sees in each class, she told Richey, admitting that the coursework gets harder as you progress. But she never thought about missing school because it got hard.

Especially with harder classes, Sydney saw how missing just one or two can put someone behind in instruction and that's not the place she wanted to be.

While she still enjoyed her senior year with friends and various other activities, she saw how the work would matter later on.

“Soft skills cannot be taught. They are internal, intrinsic,” Richey said. “Being reliable, dependable, trustworthy and with a good attitude; employers are struggling to find people with those soft skills.

"What you have done over your school career, you have exemplified what soft skills should look like."

Dependable, good attitude

Sydney’s principal shared a few words about her accomplishments as well.

“This accomplishment is outstanding,” outgoing Principal Kevin Eady said. “It’s not very often that someone can go 13 years and not miss a day of school, especially when we had a year and a half of a pandemic.”

Calling it a testament to both Sydney and her parents, Eady said he’s sure she had days she didn’t feel like going to school but said she has demonstrated perseverance, work ethic and character in never giving in to that feeling.

“She’s such a genuine young lady,” Eady said. “I know she’s going to be successful. I can’t remember anyone doing this when I was in school.”

Success in the future

Sydney’s father, Donald Castillo said he’s heard the same from teachers and other students, also being sure to state that Sydney’s perfect attendance stretched back to Pre-Kindergarten.

Sydney isn’t even sure the number of scholarships she received before choosing to attend college at the University of North Alabama.

“I remember telling my mom, I did the math, and [after all scholarships] there was only a few hundred dollars left to pay for the whole year,” Sydney said.

Before her scholarships were awarded, Donald said, “We were thinking, how are we going to pay for this?”

But Sydney's work paid off.

Applying for the Craig Foundation Scholarship, Sydney said she and only a few other students received it and that there is no set limit for recipients. She also received several other scholarships from UNA.

“One of the last days of school, in walked Mr. Eady and Mayor Chaz Molder, and I was one of the people that received that scholarship. When I found out, I told my mom, I thought, 'This is it.'”

Sydney’s interests lie in STEM careers, as Sydney excelled in math, science and even took advanced chemistry, completing high school with a 4.0 GPA.

“I told my parents, I really like the medical field, but I don’t see myself as a doctor or nurse,” Sydney said. “I wanted to look into other ways I could be involved, like medicine. Everyone is going to need medicine.”

Her thoughts are turning to pharmaceuticals, she says, since taking honors and AP level courses in her favorite subject, which is chemistry. She’s also looked into engineering.

“I don’t want to limit myself,” Sydney said. “But a lab setting is what I really want.”

Sydney began collegiate academy courses during her last year of high school, having completed the equivalent of a full semester before going to college.

In addition to volleyball, Sydney competed as part of the track team.

Track coach Thalas Steele said the last time he remembers a student reaching this milestone was his cousin back in the 1990s, almost 30 years ago.

“Sydney is everything you want in a student athlete,” Steele said, talking about her placing third in state competitions.

“What I appreciate about Sydney is, she sets a high bar and is not afraid to attain it,” Steele said. “A lot of kids may talk it, but don’t necessarily walk it. Sydney walks it."

Sydney’s sister, Brianna, is on track for the same perfect attendance record as she enters high school next year.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Columbia Central student recognized for perfect K-12 attendance