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EDUCATION PERFECT: EP student has never missed a day School board will recognize 13 years of perfect attendance Comment By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted May. 29, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted May. 29, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News EAGLE POINT — When fellow seniors enjoyed a recent "senior skip day," an observation all but permitted by local school districts as a perk for soon-to-graduate 12th-graders, Eagle Point High student Tristen DeVore was excited to be marked present and accounted for. Soon to complete a 13-year streak of perfect attendance, the 17-year-old will be recognized June 8 by the Eagle Point School District, which will present him with a special cord, recognizing his perfect attendance since kindergarten, to wear for graduation. DeVore said in his early grade school days it didn't seem so hard to "just show up." His mother, Misty Burcham, said he seemed to have sturdy genes, rarely getting sick. "I was one of those moms that, the day I came out of the hospital, I passed him around to everybody and was like, "Here, hold my baby," so he was exposed to everybody and everything, so maybe that helped make sure that he rarely got sick," she said. "The few times he did get sick, he would come down with it on a Friday and be sick Friday and Saturday and maybe Sunday and be fine by the time Monday morning rolled back around." As he got older, and the magnitude of how long he had gone without a "sick day" from school, DeVore said took on the challenge to maintain his record. "In high school, there was more temptation. But by then I had already come so far all these years I thought I might as well finish what I had started." He noted, "My parents taught me that being on time was just what you did. They would say, 'If you show up 10 minutes early, you're five minutes late!" Matthew Boren, teacher and leadership advisor for Eagle Point High, said attributes like follow-through and timeliness are skills he emphasizes — students in his automotive classes are required to punch a timecard — but that DeVore goes above and beyond. "I've gotta tell you, there were times I wanted to send him home. He had a broken nose once. Other days where he's been here with a sprained ankle or sicker than a dog and probably even contaminating myself," Boren said. "But he has the kind of behavior that demonstrate unbelievable ethics and employability skills. The biggest concern of any employer is the risk of investing in someone who has history of attendance and tardiness at the workplace causing lost work time and lost productivity." Boren said DeVore also had excelled as an officer for the school's chapter of Skills USA. DeVore will soon attend a state competition for Job Skills in which he will demonstrate his ability to repair an iPad, completing a repair that Apple stores say can't be done, while explaining the task to judges, all in under five minutes. On a basic level, DeVore said, it was humbling to be recognized for his hard work, though he hoped more students would attempt to "do something they're supposed to do anyway." "The really cool thing is that my friends know I won't skip and they're actually really proud of me for it," he said. "Not only have I never missed, but I've never been tardy." Having left his mark on students and teachers at Eagle Point High, Devore has set his sights on a line of work where punctuality will be appreciated and expected: a six-year stint as a Blackhawk helicopter repair crewman. He'll leave for basic training July 1, true to form, a week before he turns 18. He added, "I think I'll fall perfectly in line with the military's standards." Reach freelance reporter Buffy Pollock at [email protected]. By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted May. 29, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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