NAP- Neighborhood Alliance of Pawtucket

Shea Student w/Cancer GraduatesTolman A+ student attendance

http://www.projo.com/news/bobkerr/kerr_column_10_01-10-10_T4H1MO4_v21.345ff8b.html

Mouhamadou Sylla, who is battling his fourth bout with cancer, walks down a hallway at Tolman High School, in Pawtucket, on the way to his graduation. He is flanked by members of the senior class. Sylla, who is from Senegal, wanted to graduate before a scheduled surgery.

07/18/2005
Shea grad keeps 13-year attendance streak alive
Douglas Hadden

PAWTUCKET -- If 80 percent of success in life is just showing up, as film director Woody Allen is often credited with saying, then 18-year-old Mark Hackney is off to a great start.
Mark, 18, graduated last month from Shea High School having not only never missed a day of school, but never even walking in late.


That should come as no surprise, since itÂ?’s the same streak the Warren Avenue resident maintained at Goff and Slater junior high schools and Baldwin Elementary School.

With each school year being 180 days long, MarkÂ?’s streak computes to 2,160 days without a miss. Lou Gehrig, who played 2,130 consecutive games for the Yankees, could probably identify with that.

Of course, that doesnÂ?’t count MarkÂ?’s kindergarten days at Baldwin when the unbroken run really began.

Or the classroom days to come when he enters Morehouse College in Atlanta this fall to study chemistry and enter the medical field.

HackneyÂ?’s endurance record, for which he was dubbed the "Iron Man" by Shea Principal Christopher Lord at JuneÂ?’s graduation ceremony, was not easily achieved.

There was the time in kindergarten when his mother, Carol Hackney, scheduled an early-morning hospital treatment for his broken foot so he could make it to school -- thanks to a ride on MomÂ?’s back. He made it to school on time.

And later when Carol was ill with pneumonia, and Mark and his 15-year-old sister, Markquise, worked to rouse her to give them a ride to school.

"Sometimes I would be half asleep and theyÂ?’d wake me and say, Â?‘Mom! WeÂ?’re gonna be late!Â?’ A lot of times in the winter months" it could be a close call, Carol said.

MarkÂ?’s cousin, who was also his best friend, died in a car accident during the Christmas break one year. And wee-hours homework still didnÂ?’t prevent Mark from making the opening bell.

"HeÂ?’s a sweetheart," said Carol, who for five years has juggled two jobs and her family, and who Mark credits with planting the punctuality seeds with a story about a friend of hers whose perfect attendance led to a college scholarship.

But with todayÂ?’s less-rigid parents, does he listen to his mother? "He has no choice." laughed Carol, a busy single mom who admitted sheÂ?’s not always on time herself. "Am I ever late? Yeah, IÂ?’m late (sometimes)."

She also credited the familyÂ?’s strong faith, which includes Sunday and other services as well as the "menÂ?’s prayer" program Mark attends Thursday under local pastor Rudy Moseley.

Mark said most of the time he was actually early to school, to take advantage of the free breakfast program.

"A few times I was close (to being late) but I always made it. I usually would wake up accordingly, but sometimes I would have to run to beat the bell. Usually I was real early."

That CarolÂ?’s part-time job at the Garden City postal annex in Cranston starts at 6 a.m. was another factor against staying in bed.

Mark started his own work career by age 12, shoveling snow in the neighborhood.

"I made good money, actually," he recalled. "It was very physical but I felt like I earned it."

This summer heÂ?’s working the 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. overnight shift as a stock clerk at the Wal-Mart in Warwick and saving money for college. HeÂ?’s never late and never misses a day there either, he said.

Reflecting on his school streak, Mark said, "It teaches you to be responsible when you have a job. And school is a job," he maturely remarked. "It teaches you punctualiy and good values for when you grow up and are in the real world."

Thus far, MarkÂ?’s been undistracted by a girlfriend, a streak not likely to continue indefinitely at college. He noted Morehouse, alma mater of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a hero of MarkÂ?’s, is an all-boys school.

"But itÂ?’s across the street from an all-girls school, Spelman (College). So it all balances out. I donÂ?’t need to be worried about (girls) in class."

For his graduation ceremonies at Shea, where MarkÂ?’s favorite subject was science and he made the honor roll several times, the family invited a special guest: MarkÂ?’s Baldwin kindergarten teacher, Roxanne Gordon.

"SheÂ?’s a very special lady," said Mark, who though he hadnÂ?’t seen her in years had kept in touch by sending cards.

"She made us all promise in kindergarten we would go to college. I was able to tell her I was going to college. She was very happy."

While Mark looks to maintain his attendance streak while furthering his education, he also continues to set an example for his sister Markquise, who will be a Shea sophomore in September.

ThatÂ?’s right: SheÂ?’s never missed a school day either.

"She only has three more years to do it. She will (make it)," Mark said confidently.