It has been said that there is a direct link between higher student achievement and regular school attendance. Midland Valley High School senior Trent Petersen can attest to that as he has earned the distinct honor of being the sole student from Aiken County Public Schools’ Class of 2021 to achieve Perfect Attendance!
Trent has not missed a single day of school from 1st through 12th grade! This is an extremely hard-to-reach achievement that takes dedication and determination.
Prior to 2017, the South Carolina Department of Education allowed each school district to establish its own criteria to determine Perfect Attendance, but in 2017 the state department tightened the ropes and created unified criteria for all schools in South Carolina, establishing the rule that a student had to be present for a minimum of 50% of each day to count toward Perfect Attendance.
Trent was recognized by the Aiken County Board of Education May 25, and was presented with a certificate from Superintendent King Laurence as well as the District’s Lead Attendance Supervisor Vicki Miller-McCarthy who presented him with a certificate from the Legislature and a t-shirt.
Trent is the son of Steven and Monica Peterson, and currently has a GPA of 4.9. After graduation Trent plans to attend the University of South Carolina-Columbia and major in Computer Science.
