By Baileigh Rebowe

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Terry Remondet Jr., a 2011 graduate of Lutcher High School, achieved a feat that does not even cross most students’ minds. He received an award for perfect attendance for all 12 years of his schooling.

Through sickness and senioritis, Remondet maintained perfect attendance, saying it was something he strived to do.

“It wasn’t easy waking up every day for school, but it was a goal for me. I was committed to it,” said Remondet. “In ninth grade I found out I had perfect attendance and knew then I really wanted to do this.”

The swine flu couldn’t even stop Remondet.

“When the swine flu was going around, I was really sick. I was throwing up. My head was hurting. I was just really sick,” said Remondet.

He said he and his mom were going back and forth about whether he should go to school that day, and he decided just to go. He said he went to school sick many times, and he would just try to go to sleep at school if he started feeling really bad.

“I actually had a concussion one time, but I just went to class. My head was hurting so bad, I remember,” said Remondet.

The commitment to perfect attendance was also never ruined by peer pressure.

“For senior skip-days and other things it was hard because I was the one at school while they’re all relaxing at home,” he said.

His mother, Dawn Remondet, said she is proud her son stayed with it through his senior year.

“Sometimes he’d be the only senior in most of his classes. He was that dedicated,” she said.

He said it was all worth it the night he received his award in front of family, friends and his grandfather, Allen Matherne, who won the same award in 1966.

“My grandpa motivated and pushed me to do this. I couldn’t have done it without him,” he added.

He is also going to try to keep his perfect attendance streak going when he attends LSU in the fall.

“It will be tough, but I did it 12 years already. What’s four more?” he said.