For as long as there have been teachers, students have had excuses: My dog ate my homework. My computer crashed. I had football practice.

But 11-year-old Tyler Sullivan of Minnesota isn’t one to make excuses. He’s a good kid: he finishes his work after playing quarterback, his computer is well maintained, and his dog doesn’t like paper.

“If I was president I would say no more smoking, no more tobacco, and no more drugs,” said Sullivan.

But on Friday, Sullivan skipped school for the first time in his life, to meet President Barack Obama.

Obama was in town visiting the Honeywell facility in Golden Valley, Minn.

Tyler’s father, Ryan, had introduced Obama before his speech at Honeywell, and Obama approached the family after the speech.

“First I said, ‘Hi, Mr. President.’ Then he says, ‘Hi Tyler, you must be out of school then,’” said Tyler.

Obama realized Tyler was skipping school, and asked an aide for a pen and a card with presidential letterhead.

“Do you want me to write an excuse note? What’s your teacher’s name?” Tyler remembered. “And I say, ‘Mr. Ackerman.’ And he writes, ‘Please excuse Tyler. He was with me. Barack Obama, the president.” Tyler has framed the note.

“Pretty cool – and it’s like oh, I’m famous. It’s really cool,” Tyler said.