“I started out in kindergarten,” Smith said. “Both of my parents were working and when I went to work with them, it was kind of boring and school was a lot better and more interesting.
“I kind of worked on it and kept it through 5th grade and after 5th grade I said ‘well I’ve done it this long, I can’t let go now.’ ”
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And he didn’t. The only time he had ever missed any class was six years ago when his dad had to undergo emergency surgery — and he only missed the last 15 minutes of the day.
His achievement has impressed school leaders.
“There is no way that would ever cross my mind that a kid could ever do it,” Kenton Ridge Principal John Hill said. “For him not to get sick, there are so many different times where things are going on and to have him accomplish that is quite a feat.”
Smith has taken some memorable field trips. In eighth grade, he was allowed to participate with the Kenton Ridge High School band in the Macy’s Day Parade. The experience was one of a kind, he said.
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“When I went with the band I found that it took me a while to get caught back up with school,” he said. “It is really hard for me to catch up after doing that.”
He said going to school everyday helped him stay on top of his studies and be a good student.
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So he kept on attending. Kenton Ridge also allows students who has perfect attendance to skip an exam.
“That is a nice carrot and Jared is always taking advantage of it,” Hill said.
Smith plans to study computers and business at Wright State.
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