HOOKSETT — On his final day of kindergarten, Scott Durham received an award. It was for perfect attendance throughout the entire school year.

It was then that Durham vowed to never miss a day of school — an accomplishment that he says will be completed when he walks across the stage as a Central High School graduate June 16.

There were times when Durham, an 18-year-old Hooksett resident, wanted to miss school or should have missed school. He persevered through illnesses and injury and says that in 13 years of education in Hooksett and Manchester, he never missed a day.

“There have been a couple of really close calls,” Durham said, recalling a recent bout of illness. “Just last year I almost ended up missing a day of school. I was in my math class, literally in the fetal position at my desk.”

But just like he had many times before, Durham said he stuck it out because it would have been too early in the day to leave, and he would have been marked absent.

Carol Durham, Scott’s mother, said there have been other incidents as well, including a stick in the eye and an asthma attack that threatened her son’s attendance record. It’s just the way he is though, she said, that kept him going every day for 13 years with such dedication to his goal.

“He’s worked hard to keep himself healthy and make it to school every day,” she said.

Scott is the youngest of four Durham children, all boys, and growing up when one of them inevitably got sick, Carol Durham said Scott would go into “infection control mode” to keep himself from catching whatever his brother had.

“He would use hand sanitizer and be taking vitamin C,” Carol Durham said.

Scott Durham said he takes the same dedicated approach to his activities outside of school as well. He said he holds a job that he rarely — if ever misses a day of — and also is active in clowning and miming. And, as a performer in the school band, he takes pride in the musical performances he and his bandmates create.

“I’ve been in band since fourth grade and there are times that I really want to leave band,” he said. “But, I don’t because it’s an activity I’m involved in and I love what we do.”

Though Durham is unsure of what exactly he wants to do after high school, he knows it will involve computers. He said next year he will be taking some computer courses to figure out which field he wants to enter in regard to technology.

Carol Durham said she is proud of her son’s achievement and said that it has allowed her as a mom to not have to worry about where her son is.

“He’s very well behaved,” she said. “We have never had any problems, and I always know he’s going to be at school.”

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Cory Francer may be reached at cfrancer@newstote.com.