Senior Spotlight: Maricopa Unified’s Dylan Henderson Aces Attendance

There are 180 days in a school year. Over 13 years — from kindergarten through high school — that amounts to 2,340 days. Dylan Henderson, a senior at Maricopa High School (Maricopa Unified School District), hasn’t missed a single one.

“I’ve been in this position over 18 years, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen a student come through that’s made it K through 12 with perfect attendance,” said Stacey Oglesby, secretary at Maricopa High School. “I’ve watched him grow up. He’s always been a polite, respectful young man, always willing to help with anything.”

The school district has long struggled with chronic absenteeism, which was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The TK-12 campus has also faced issues with discipline, resulting in higher-than-average suspension rates that also impact attendance numbers. Superintendent Michael Coleman says Dylan has bucked the trend every year and stands as a shining example of what can be achieved when you show up. 

“We have a young man that made [attendance] important, that is something that should be celebrated,” he said. “He is an overall success story for Maricopa and certainly a bright moment.”

Dylan’s mother, Malinda Adams, works in the school as a kindergarten aide. Being at her son’s school allowed her to keep a close eye on him through his academic journey and encouraged him to stay in class. Adams says Dylan was born premature and was often sick as a young child. Despite this, Adams encouraged him to at least attend school every day and stay as long as he could, even if he had to leave early. 

“You can do more than what you think you can do,” Adams told Dylan. “And after a few years of pushing, he just took over from there.”

Dylan says he’s glad his mom pushed him to keep going to school and that it helped instill in him a sense of commitment and reliability.

“In middle school, I know a lot of my friends would miss school, and I realized that it’s important to my future that I’m here every day, and it’s going to help me later on,” Dylan said. “[Mom] was always there to motivate me to give me an extra push.”

Dylan admits it also doesn’t hurt that he actually enjoys going to school. Throughout his tenure, he has remained active on campus, participating in the AVID program, ASB, yearbook, and football and basketball, all while maintaining a solid GPA in his academic courses. Dylan says these activities, and getting to be with his friends every day, made it easy to come to class.

“All the staff members, they make it nice to come to school, like Mr. Coleman and Miss Brown,” Dylan said. “I like that it’s a small school because I get to know everybody and have a good connection with everybody.”

Maricopa administration describes Dylan as a respectful and positive influence on campus, always with a smile on his face and setting an example for the younger students. With the school being a unified campus, Dylan interacts frequently with the lower grade levels and always steps up to help without being asked. 

“He’s a good role model for the younger kids on the elementary side of the campus,” Principal Brandi Brown explained. “You don’t have to ask a lot from him. He’s very self-regulated and self-motivated. We don’t have to remind him to be a role model; he’s always there to help with a smile on his face and a positive attitude.” 

Once he graduates, Dylan plans to attend Taft College and major in the Occupational Safety and Health Program, which offers training for health and safety positions across multiple industries. Dylan hopes this certification will offer him a myriad of job opportunities in the future. Dylan’s record of perfect attendance will serve him well when he enters the workforce. By consistently showing up on time every day, he’s demonstrating respect and consistency. 

“It’s showing your commitment, and that shows that you have respect for what you’re doing,” he said. “I think respect is very important.”

Coleman agrees, saying any industry would be lucky to have Dylan. His responsibility, reliability, and commitment to excellence are all traits rarely seen in the job market.

“Showing up is 90 percent of success,” Colemen said. “I’ve known people that were brilliant and didn’t have the commitment to follow through.” 

Dylan thanks his family and community for their endless support. He says they all have given him the confidence to move forward and reach his goals. 

“I’m looking forward to building a future for myself and for my family,” Dylan said. “I’m trying to be the best version of myself I can be.”