Dedham High School Senior completes "Perfect" Feat ...

In school, attendance is called in alphabetical order. After a few times through this, each student in class knows the names called before their own.

One day, as a teacher progressed through her list, she called off a young man whose last name began with the letter "L". "I`m here ma`am", he responded, "but you forgot to call Corey Kilroy..." The teacher paused a moment, looked up and smiled. "I didn`t forget to call Corey, I know that Corey is here, Corey is always here - right Corey?" The Dedham High School senior smiled back and answered... "Yes ma`am."

You see, Corey was fast approaching the light at the end of the tunnel - Perfect Attendance - each year, every year, grades K-12.

Of the nearly 4 million students graduating high school across the country each spring, only a handful are able to accomplish this feat, so few in fact, that statistics don`t even exist for this. Research proves that this young man may indeed be one of the very few in the entire state, or in all of New England for that matter, to graduate with the class of 2018 having completed 2,340 consecutive days of school.

Speaking with Corey, we quickly realized that he never consciously looked at this as a challenge, or something he had to do. "Each morning my alarm would go off, I`d wake up and it was time for school... no big deal."

Kilroy said he would see other students miss school and have to make up assignments or even fall behind in class and he never wanted that. "I actually have always liked going to school, I have a great group of friends, I enjoy my classes and teachers, and for 180 days each year over the past 13 years, that`s what I do..."

The senior is not all books however, as Kilroy is a two-sport varsity athlete (soccer and basketball), a youth coach, and has performed almost 300 hours of community service work around town. "I really enjoy being involved, being active, and I have a great sense of pride in my accomplishments" Corey told us. "The whole perfect attendance thing has just always been a part of me."

Reflecting for a moment, Corey said whenever a new person hears of this accomplishment, the first thing everyone asks is "don`t you ever get sick?" "There have been a few days I felt a little under the weather, but not sick enough to stay home thankfully." Kilroy even wrote his college essay on his perfect attendance, "something that would make me stand out", realizing just how unique his story was.

In the Fall, DHS senior "iron man" Corey Kilroy will be attending Merrimack College, offered a spot in their Honors Program, with plans to major in Biology and the Sciences.

In closing, Kilroy offered up that winning smile and told us "don`t put your pens away too quickly, my younger sister Kara (DHS class 2020) is following right behind - she also has a perfect attendance record now in grades K-10."

We`d like to Congratulate this young man and all of his accomplishments and wish him continued success in college and with any future plans.