Olive Branch, Miss. - A Mid-South student refused to give up on a lofty goal, proving that persistence really pays off.

Scoring a 31 on the ACT as a freshman wasn't good enough for Olive Branch High's Charlie Tran.

"I divided 31 by 36 and it was less than 90, so I figured it wasn't an A," said Charlie.

So, he took it again.

"Next time, I got a 34."

And again.

"I ended up getting a 33"

And again, but in this case, as a senior, the fourth time was a charm for Charlie.

"I took it one last time in December this year and ended up with a 36," he said.

Charlie is part of a very small group, less than one percent of test takers in 2009, scoring a perfect 36 on the ACT.

"It was a pretty big deal to me," explained Charlie. "I actually saw my score at 2 in the morning."

Charlie's AP English teacher Joyce Helmick said that she wasn't shocked to hear that one of her star pupils had mastered the ACT.

"He knew what he had to do to improve. He knew what he had to study, so he concentrated on those areas. It did not surprise me when Charlie made a 36," said Helmick.

Charlie, whose first language is Vietnamese, is the picture of perfection when it comes to testing. But he openly admits, he's not always the model student when it comes to homework.

"Especially math, you learn it and then you have to do it over and over. I thought it was ridiculous because of repeating."

While he may not enjoy the repetition of math, he thrives on practicing and performing as a member of the Olive Branch band and choir.

"The feeling of being part of such a group, and having something as amazing as music run through and join us all," said Charlie.

Music may connect him with his classmates, but a perfect 36 on his ACT makes this young man stand alone.

Charlie has his list of colleges narrowed down to twelve. He plans to be a doctor one day.