When Kimberly Loving crossed the stage at Warren Central High School Friday to receive her diploma, she had a distinction none of her classmates could match.

From kindergarten through the 12th grade, Loving never missed a day of school. While other students labored to conjure schemes and excuses to miss school, Loving got up every day and went to class.

“You had sick days, but you toughed it out, because you have a goal to not miss a day,” she said. “You think about that goal when you have times that you don’t want to go to school.”

Loving had plenty of inspiration and motivation to reach her goal. Her sister, Felicia, who graduated from Warren Central two years ago and is now a senior at the University of Southern Mississippi, also had perfect attendance.

Their parents, James and Carla Loving, provided the motivation.

“Mom instilled it (perfect attendance) in us at the same time,” Felicia Loving said.

Carla Loving said she got the idea from a newspaper story that she read about a teenager in Florida who had perfect attendance through grades K through 12.

“I thought that was a wonderful accomplishment,” she said. “Felicia was in elementary school and Kimberly was in day care. I began to inspire them with that goal. “My girls have been blessed,” she said. “When they’ve gotten sick it’s been on off days or during the summer.”

There was one incident during Kimberly’s junior year that threatened her record. She slipped and fell entering a local restaurant one day and hurt her lower back.

“It was very painful,” she said. “I just didn’t want to go to school, but I went.”

Kimberly plans to attend USM and major in business. Does she plan to continue her perfect attendance streak in college?

“I will my freshman year,” Kimberly said. “After that, I don’t know.”