When Arkansas Tech held its graduation ceremonies on May 10, there wasn't any doubt Carrie Harris Phillips, 23, would be present to accept her Master of Arts degree in multi-media journalism. During her 18 years of schooling, Phillips never missed a day of school.
Phillips is a regular young lady who grew up in a normal family and attended local schools. Her father, Lyman Harris, is a professor at Tech and the head of the rehabilitation science program. Her mother, Carol Ann Harris, works in the accounting department for Innovative Industries.
Phillips, who admits to being a rather healthy specimen, remembers when she first heard her fourth-grade teacher reflect on her own perfect attendance record. The teacher was Donna Horne, now retired from Dwight Elementary School. "I thought if she could do that, then I could, too. When I told my parents of my decision, I don't think they took me seriously," Phillips said.
Her father remembers that conversation. "As I recall, I told her that was a very good goal and, although we hoped she'd never get sick, there was a possibility she might not meet that goal," he said, sounding like a practical father. "This was very important to her, and she's worked so hard to attain the distinction."
Harris elaborates by discussing the time when his daughter had braces requiring frequent visits to the orthodontist. "She would tell them she couldn't miss school, so they made accommodations to schedule all her appointments after school," he said. "Even as a grade-schooler, she would say, 'Dad, don't forget to get me an appointment to get the flu shot.' You know, to have a kid that age tell you that, well, that's a pretty unusual thing," he said.
Phillips admitted, "I went to school plenty of times when I had allergies or sinus problems. I was lucky that I had the chickenpox when I was 4 years old, and I've never had broken bones."
"From a teacher's standpoint," Harris said, "I have students who don't come to school because the weather is bad. Needless to say, her mother and I are very proud of her. Carrie just puts her all in everything she does; that's just the way she is. Sometimes she doesn't win, but it's not for lack of trying," he said.
Phillips said, "I did have to be diligent about going to bed at a certain time, and I'm a night owl, so that was a challenge."
Once Phillips voiced her goal of attaining perfect attendance, she found notoriety among her teachers and peers. After she received an award at the end of her fifth grade year, everyone started taking notice. "That's when my peers really got involved," she said with a laugh. "It became something of a running joke. Someone would make a comment that since it was raining, maybe I wouldn't be goingto school that day." A couple of weeks before graduation from high school, some of her classmates threatened to block the road to school.
Which reminds her father, "She even refused to participate in Senior Skip Day, even though it was an excused absence. In her mind, it was still an absence," he said.
Attending the same school where her father worked was the last thing she set out to do. "Believe me, I wanted to go anywhere but Tech because I was afraid I would be known as 'Dr. Harris' daughter' and not just Carrie. But I checked all the schools, and Tech was the best fit for me because it allows freshman to write, edit and be on camera through Tech TV. "
Although Phillips never studied under her father at Tech, she did study under one of her baby sitters. "One of my Dad's students who baby-sat me returned after going away to finish her ed-A-plus in attendanceucation and work, and I had her for a teacher," she said. "Another perk of having my father on the faculty here is that, with both my undergraduate and graduate degrees, he awarded them to me on stage."
Phillips received her bachelor's degree in journalism from Tech and interned a summer with WXII, a top 50 television station, in Winston-Salem, N.C. The station offered her a chance to stay, which she did for a year, producing the morning show. Because she graduated a year early, the year of employment didn't disturb her momentum and, actually, served to enhance her resume. "I can honestly say I have experience running the teleprompter and editing video. I had to learn to remain calm even though I was thrown into situations my job description didn't cover," she said.
Although Phillips did not include her perfect attendance on her resumeÂ', she makes sure to mention it. "I have a track record of being reliable and serious. If I could make that commitment to my schooling, I think people are apt to believe I would be someone they could count on," she said.
Phillips doesn't know where she'll land. She is looking in Little Rock for now because that is where her husband of two years, Christopher Phillips, works.
Donna Horne, that fourthgrade teacher, sent Phillips a congratulatory letter when she graduated from high school. "I know she has kept her eyes on me," Phillips said. "I think a lot of credit goes to the schools and teachers I have had over the years who have made learning fun. That's why I never wanted to miss school." Phillips said her favorite teachers were Jan Tuttle in high school and Anthony Caton, director of broadcasting at Tech.
Tuttle, who is retired, said he has watched Phillips on Tech TV and is certain she has what it takes to succeed in the business. "It's much easier to be a good teacher when you have good students. And Carrie was a good student." Some River Valley area
schools were not able to de
termine their honor gradu
ates by press time. The honor
graduates for these schools
will be published as they are
received.
River Valley Ozark, Pages 163 on 05/18/2008