Casey Paul when she started and finished school. Photo / Supplied
Every morning for 13 years when the alarm clock went off, Casey Paul sprang out of bed and got to school.
She didn’t miss a single day during her entire primary, intermediate and secondary school years.
Now her incredible record has been recognised at a national level.
A letter from Education Minister Erica Stanford was read out at Casey’s Rotorua Girls’ High School senior prizegiving recently, which said Casey’s dedication, resilience, and consistency reflected “the very best of what we hope to see in our young people”.
The letter said: “You’ve set a powerful example for your peers, your community, and indeed the entire country”.
At her final assembly, she received a special shield recognising her 13 years of consecutive 100% attendance.
The shield was donated by her family, including her grandfather and the late Lynne Best, and was presented to Casey by her sister, former Rotorua Girls’ High School prefect Tayla Paul.
Casey was also the recipient of a new award - the Krammer Trophy - awarded to a student who displayed outstanding commitment and achievement throughout their five years at Rotorua Girls’ High School.
In presenting the award, deputy principal Raewyn Krammer said Casey not only achieved 100% attendance throughout her years at Westbrook School, Rotorua Intermediate School and Rotorua Girls’ High School, but she also achieved her bronze and silver Duke of Edinburgh Awards during her secondary school years.
She joined Rotorua’s St John Youth Programme to support the achievement of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. During her years of volunteer service, she achieved the rank of Cadet Corporal and, more recently, Cadet Sergeant. In 2024, she was awarded the Lakes District Cadet of the Year.
As part of her attendance recognition, the 18-year-old was invited to Wellington on December 4 by Associate Education Minister David Seymour.
He gave Casey a tour of the Beehive and Parliament buildings that included going into the Prime Minister’s office, debating chambers, banquet hall and library.
She said a highlight was standing at the lectern where press conferences were held and where former prime minister Jacinda Ardern and former director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield gave their daily Covid-19 briefings.
The Rotorua Daily Post featured Casey at the start of this year when she set her sights on achieving a 100% attendance record.
In that interview, she revealed her determination was such, she turned down a family trip to Hawaii as their scheduled flight times meant she would have missed two days at school at the start of the term.
She had also dodged serious illness, and thankfully got Covid-19 during the school holidays.
In a generation that is often criticised as being influenced by Covid lockdowns and other external factors, what has made Casey so dedicated to school?
Her answer is simple. She never wants to fall behind in her work because she is focused on a career as a paramedic.
She said that goal meant more to her than anything - especially since losing her grandmother.
“Our family has had to use ambulances a lot. I want to be that person who hopefully makes someone’s day brighter.”
She said it was her greatest fear that she might miss something at school that was important for her future.
In 2026, she will go to the Auckland University of Technology to study a Bachelor of Health Science majoring in paramedicine.
“I want to be the one who can turn someone’s face from being ‘holy crap I wonder if they will survive’ to ‘yes, they are going to be fine’,” she said.
As she gears up towards her continued study, she is spending her summer holidays working at Woolworths in Rotorua to earn money.
She said she was proud to tell her future employer she could be counted on to show up.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.