There’s dedication, and then there’s not missing a day of school from kindergarten all the way through your final year of high school. Vladimir Rochebrun achieved just that with perfect attendance from kindergarten to his graduation from Monsignor Edward Pace High School last month.
Rochebrun began his perfect attendance at St. Lawrence Catholic School, the school he attended for kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. From there, he went to Pace, where he and his family ensured that he was always present by using 5:30 a.m. wake-up calls and carpooling.
Rochebrun says that he and his family believed that perfect attendance was the first step in becoming successful. “The act of showing up at any level, no matter what you’re doing, is the most important thing,” said Rochebrun. At Pace, Rochebrun excelled academically in the classroom and athletically as part of the Pace wrestling team. He says his time as a Pace wrestler changed his entire outlook on life and he credits head wrestling coach Frank Pelegri with inspiring him. “He had this energy and self confidence that I wanted for myself,” said Rochebrun.
After joining the Pace wrestling team, Rochebrun said he created a new world view for himself and that the discipline he got from wrestling made him perform better in school and at home.
“He’s one of the most dedicated and determined people I knew in high school,” said Matthew Sarria, a fellow Pace Class of 2017 alumnus. “To him, there was no obstacle that he couldn’t push through.”
“My time at Pace prepared me for the real world emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually,” said Rochebrun. “I know that there's no challenge out there that's too great or big for me. As long as I stay faithful and put God before everything I do, I won't and can't be stopped. These are all things I wouldn't have learned anywhere else other than Pace.”
Rochebrun will be attending Florida Atlantic University in the fall.