CHULA VISTA – Crystal Jacquez is the Cal Ripken Jr. of perfect attendance.
Crystal hasn't missed a single day of school or had even one late arrival in nine years at Robert L. Mueller Charter School in Chula Vista.
Six other students have perfect attendance for seven years in the Chula Vista Elementary School District, but none can match Crystal's run from kindergarten through eighth grade.
What's the secret to being an academic ironwoman?
“People say, 'Oh, you're a saint for coming every day,' ” 14-year-old Crystal said. “I did it because I like school.”
It also didn't hurt that Crystal lives just a few blocks from Mueller Charter and her mother, Maria Jacquez, has worked at the school since Crystal began kindergarten.
“Maybe that helps, too,” Maria Jacquez said. “Whenever she feels sick or whatever, she just calls me and I give her Tylenol or a water bottle. Then later in the day I ask her, 'How do you feel?' And she says she feels a lot better.”
Headaches aside, Crystal is a biological wonder.
“Her immune system's great,” said Omar Burruel, Crystal's social-studies teacher for the past three years. “There's been a few times when she's felt sick, but there's never really been a case of something that gets her really sick.”
Burruel agreed that school is a home away from home for Crystal.
“It always seems that she's happy to be at school,” he said. “I don't recall if there was ever a time when she did not turn something in, so she's a pretty dedicated student.”
Crystal starts at Chula Vista High School in the fall and said she hopes to keep her attendance streak going.
“I'm going to try very hard,” she said. “I think I will.”
High school also poses a new set of challenges for Crystal, but Burruel also is hoping she will be able to continue her perfect-attendance streak.
“High school has a different element, and there's different situations that come up, but I really do hope so,” Burruel said. “That would be pretty amazing if she was able to go from K to 12 all the way without missing a day.”
Crystal said her goal is to attend the University of Kentucky.
David Berlin is a Union-Tribune news assistant.
