Riverhead Student Has Perfect Attendance For 13 Years

For the past 13 years, Jalyn Brown, 17, has never missed a day of school.

Unlike many of her peers who've begged their parents to stay home with the sniffles, Jalyn, a graduating Riverhead High School senior, has never missed even so much as a single class.

"I've always really wanted to go to school," Jalyn said on Monday. "Even if I had a slight headache, I always motivated myself to go to school and get an education."

Dedication and perseverance have paid off big-time for Jalyn: Not only does she have a straight 90s average and a spot on the high honors roll, she is a star athlete, named one of the Top 50 girls basketball players in New York State.

On Tuesday, not only will Jalyn be recognized for her perfect attendance at Riverhead High School, but U.S. Rep Tim Bishop, D-Southampton, will present the girls basketball team with a copy of the congressional record for their history-making .

Earlier this year, Jalyn, and a point guard on the Riverhead High School varsity girls basketball team, , where she received a full athletic scholarship.

Her team, the, had a stellar season, earning the title of Long Island Champs and a l

Her parents say their daughter's single-minded determination, including her perfect attendance, makes them proud. "I feel blessed," said Keith Brown, Jalyn's father.

Brown said both Jalyn's cousin, Kira Atkins, and older sister, Malisha Brown, also had perfect attendance. "It's a family tradition," he said, joking.  "They didn't get it from me."

Brown also works as the head custodian at the Riley Avenue Elementary school, where his children were enrolled. "I guess they knew I could check on them any time of the day," he laughed.

Even as a small child, his daughter had a penchant for school, Brown said. "When we took her to the the first day when we went to sign up, she cried when she had to leave and couldn't stay with the other kids. The teachers said it's usually the opposite -- the kids cry to go home with their parents."

Of her senior year, Jalyn said, "It's like a dream come true. Everything has been a great moment," Jalyn said. "It's something that I'll never forget."

Reflecting on how she managed not to miss a single minute of her 13 years of school so far, Jalyn, who plans to study physical education, said she enjoys learning and being around people. Describing herself as "the funny girl" amidst her friends, who say she has a "bubbly" personality, Jalyn revels in the comaraderie she finds in school. "I just want to put a smile on everyone's face, every day," she said.

Jalyn's mother, Tracey Brown, said she never had to struggle to wake her daughter up for school in the mornings. "We're so proud of her," she said. "We want her to keep reaching for her goals."

To other students who might be considering skipping class, Jalyn has a message: "Just go to school and do the right thing," she said.

Looking forward, the industrious senior has a single-minded ambition: "I'm going to try for perfect attendance in college, too," she said.