Every high school had that one kid everyone was convinced would go far. They barely seemed to break a sweat over exams, had teachers singing their praises, and looked like they already had their future mapped out while everyone else was still figuring out what they wanted for lunch.
We found stories from former classmates who looked back and learned what became of the kids they once thought had the world at their feet. Grab a snack and scroll down to see how some of these high school stars turned out.
#1
He was one of the smartest in a lot of my classes growing up for a few years until grade 11. Unfortunately he had a younger brother who was a bonafide genius. Like iq over 150 kind of genius. He was also from a typical asian family who expected him to be a doctor or lawyer. Unfortunately in their high expectations they constantly compared the two and he always fell short to his younger brother. Parents would pressure him often and constantly make him feel inferior.
I remember he came back in grade 11 after the summer and was suddenly completely goth, black lipstick, eyeshadow, choker, the whole deal.
I haven’t seen him in a long time but last i heard he first tried for medical school but eventually dropped out. He did graduate from a good college and became your typical office worker but struggled to hold down any particular career and has yet to have been in a relationship at the age of 39. Constant pressure and comparison to his younger brother absolutely shattered his self confidence and self worth.
If you’re a parent, please do not do this to your child.
I remember he came back in grade 11 after the summer and was suddenly completely goth, black lipstick, eyeshadow, choker, the whole deal.
I haven’t seen him in a long time but last i heard he first tried for medical school but eventually dropped out. He did graduate from a good college and became your typical office worker but struggled to hold down any particular career and has yet to have been in a relationship at the age of 39. Constant pressure and comparison to his younger brother absolutely shattered his self confidence and self worth.
If you’re a parent, please do not do this to your child.
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9points
#2
A guy who never studied, slept through calculus, and casually won state science fairs without trying. We all assumed he’d end up working at NASA or CERN. Instead, he figured out how search engine algorithms worked in the late 2000s, built a hyper-specific digital marketing empire, and retired to Spain before turning 30.
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8points
#3
The top student was a quiet AP and science competition star. Now she works as a computational biotech research scientist, focused on disease research, living modestly.
7points
Think back to your high school days, and there was probably one student who always seemed to have things figured out academically. They could walk into a test looking completely relaxed and walk out with one of the highest scores in the class.
Everyone knew they were smart, and it was safe to assume that someone who stood out that much at school would go on to do something just as impressive.
#4
Girl who wanted to be a brain surgeon. She is now a double Ivy League grad and a brain surgeon. 🤷♀️.
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7points
#5
Had 8 kids and keeps messaging me about buying essential oils. I swore she could have become the president but nope, just an MLM mom.
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7points
#6
Buddy of mine, highschool valedictorian, brilliant kid. Went to a fairly prestigious university, got a bio degree, ended up teaching chemistry at our old highschool.
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6points
Being academically gifted does not automatically tell you what someone will do with their life. Someone can be great at solving equations, writing essays, or memorizing things from a textbook and still have no idea what kind of life they want.
School rewards certain abilities, while real life demands a much wider mix of skills, interests, experience, and choices.
#7
Two stood out (both got perfect scores in their VCE - Australia), and they're both surgeons (colorectal and neuro). Both have made a fortune in private practice whilst also keeping plenty of public hours. Good humans.
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6points
#8
She got a full life scholarship to Duke. She also graduated a year early. She went to college for one year, dropped out, and now she makes sandwiches at a coffee shop.
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6points
#9
Girl came first in EVERY course - seemingly without trying. English - 1st, Math - 1st, Latin - 1st.
Was also the first to be mentally sectioned and not heard of since. (Sectioning is involuntary admission to the psych ward in the uk.)
Was also the first to be mentally sectioned and not heard of since. (Sectioning is involuntary admission to the psych ward in the uk.)
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6points
A study that followed students from Grade 8 to Grade 10 found that their career planning changed as they got older, with confidence and early work experience playing a role.
Figuring out what you want as an adult can take time. What someone thinks they want in high school may look very different years later, once they have had more time to learn what they actually enjoy and what they are good at.
#10
Friend of mine. Never studied, slept through most classes and aced every exam in school. Got an advanced scholarship to MIT, got bored in a year because he finished all the courses on his own. Dropped out, became a mixologist and bartender for a while. Got bored and is now a certified skydiving instructor and jumps out of planes every day. Legend.
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6points
#11
My sister. Skipped 4th grade and joined my class in 5th grade( we’re one year apart by age). Graduated valedictorian of our highschool at 17 with a gpa of like 4.5 or something crazy like that, graduated undergrad at 19, grad school at 21, and is working on her PHD soon so she can be a professor. She’s 24 now and absolutely winning it!
As someone who was undiagnosed ADHD most of my life and struggled in school, it wasn’t always fun having a genius for a sister. But man, was she the best teacher and friend. I remember she would help with my highschool algebra and vocab quizzes. I could brag about her any day, I’m so proud of her.
As someone who was undiagnosed ADHD most of my life and struggled in school, it wasn’t always fun having a genius for a sister. But man, was she the best teacher and friend. I remember she would help with my highschool algebra and vocab quizzes. I could brag about her any day, I’m so proud of her.
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6points
#12
Valedictorian, lived next to me for several years in college. Talked about investing in bitcoin in 2009 but not sure if he did, became a software engineer for an oil drilling company. Rich as hell.
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5points
The subjects a student seems passionate about in school may not interest them forever. A study of more than 7,800 children in England found that many changed their science-related career plans between the ages of 11 and 14.
As students grow and are exposed to new subjects and experiences, what they enjoy can change too.
#13
She teaches piano and plays piano for her church choir. She was also on Jeopardy and won like five days in a row.
5points
#14
My best friend. Dude never had to study or read stuff on the topics. He had a photographic memory. He made like the highest you can make on the ACT. Got a full ride to college. Dropped out after a few semesters because he wouldn’t go to class and didn’t want to do more school. Passed away in some sort of work accident at a super young age.
5points
#15
Valedictorian became a corporate lawyer. He seems to be doing well, makes bank.
Now, one of my colleagues mentioned their valedictorian skipped college, moved to some Caribbean island and sells fruit on a beach or something.
Now, one of my colleagues mentioned their valedictorian skipped college, moved to some Caribbean island and sells fruit on a beach or something.
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5points
Being known as the smart kid comes with a lot of expectations from family and basically everyone around you. When everyone keeps telling you that you are going to do something big, it can feel like there is a certain path you are supposed to follow.
And if you choose something different, you might start wondering if you are wasting your potential or letting everyone down.
#16
I will say this guy was legitimately extremely smart, but those of us in class with him could never quite figure out if he was as smart as everyone thought he was.
He was legitimately the top student in grade 9 and 10. In grade 11 and 12 he was on every committee at school and a few sports teams, and was given permission to do a bunch of random stuff in the community as well. He was never, ever in class but somehow always had high 90s grades. It didn't make sense to some of us, he never had to do the group projects (his extra curriculars were always accommodated) and even though the rest of us were held to an attendance standard thr school admin turned a blind eye. We always felt like he could smooth talk any teacher into giving him accomodation on an exam or a break on an assignment - the school got good publicity too from him being such a prolific volunteer.
I was on the yearbook committee with him, but here's the thing, he'd show up and give a great inspirational speech to the rest of us to keep working hard and that we were doing great, but would never actually contribute anything meaningful in terms of output.
He was our valedictorian and won a full ride scholarship to one of the best universities in the world. They gave out only a few of these per year.
He showed up to university and tried the same stuff - signing up for extra curriculars, volunteering, and trying to smooth talk the profs and admin out of attending class and doing work. Obviously didn't work out for him and he flamed out spectacularly.
I've fallen out of touch with him but last I heard he tried another come back at a less prestigious university but failed out again. He took a low level clerical role and at least according to LinkedIn has not really had much in the way of progressions / career advancement.
In retrospect I think he just halo effected hard. Everyone was caught up with a charming, athletic, intelligent young man. Everyone thought he was destined for greatness. But he never actually did much work or output anything and I think that caught up to him as an adult.
He was legitimately the top student in grade 9 and 10. In grade 11 and 12 he was on every committee at school and a few sports teams, and was given permission to do a bunch of random stuff in the community as well. He was never, ever in class but somehow always had high 90s grades. It didn't make sense to some of us, he never had to do the group projects (his extra curriculars were always accommodated) and even though the rest of us were held to an attendance standard thr school admin turned a blind eye. We always felt like he could smooth talk any teacher into giving him accomodation on an exam or a break on an assignment - the school got good publicity too from him being such a prolific volunteer.
I was on the yearbook committee with him, but here's the thing, he'd show up and give a great inspirational speech to the rest of us to keep working hard and that we were doing great, but would never actually contribute anything meaningful in terms of output.
He was our valedictorian and won a full ride scholarship to one of the best universities in the world. They gave out only a few of these per year.
He showed up to university and tried the same stuff - signing up for extra curriculars, volunteering, and trying to smooth talk the profs and admin out of attending class and doing work. Obviously didn't work out for him and he flamed out spectacularly.
I've fallen out of touch with him but last I heard he tried another come back at a less prestigious university but failed out again. He took a low level clerical role and at least according to LinkedIn has not really had much in the way of progressions / career advancement.
In retrospect I think he just halo effected hard. Everyone was caught up with a charming, athletic, intelligent young man. Everyone thought he was destined for greatness. But he never actually did much work or output anything and I think that caught up to him as an adult.
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5points
#17
One is an OB GYN.
Other has two degrees from two Ivy's. He is dependent on gambling and alcohol. Yet he has managed to hold down a six figure job.
Edit, In high school, thought two Ivys was a "good catch". I read through his divorce records. Multiple DWIs, $50,000 in debt to Casinos. I was so wrong.
Other has two degrees from two Ivy's. He is dependent on gambling and alcohol. Yet he has managed to hold down a six figure job.
Edit, In high school, thought two Ivys was a "good catch". I read through his divorce records. Multiple DWIs, $50,000 in debt to Casinos. I was so wrong.
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5points
#18
Harvard, MIT, Oxford, taught mathematics at Harvard for a bit, and is now a tenured professor of mathematics at Boston University. Won national Math Olympiads even back in grade school, got a letter from President Clinton. According to her wiki (haven't talked in over a decade but we still have common friends), she led a team in her 20's or early 30's in solving some incredibly difficult equation.
She was telling me even back in junior high that she wanted to be a mathematician and develop theorems, which I thought was weird. I just said I wanted to be rich lol
I greatly respect her, she actually seems to be doing something that's advancing collective human understanding in the math and sciences which is really cool. I was in the same classes as her, but the gap between her and the rest of the class was fairly apparent. I actually told my parents I could never be valedictorian... like that was a statistical impossibility, and they understood lol. She's likely the most gifted academic our locality has ever produced and likely will produce for decades.
The 2nd smartest was actually a close friend back in high school. He was a "cool" kid, girls, was pretty good in sports. I actually don't know how he's doing at this point, but he wasn't doing too well last I checked, just getting high and on retail jobs. His standardized test scores were high enough that Stanford even contacted him. His family was really poor. It's one of the few friend's houses I went to where I recoiled a bit by the stench. He at least had the potential but yeah... sad story.
She was telling me even back in junior high that she wanted to be a mathematician and develop theorems, which I thought was weird. I just said I wanted to be rich lol
I greatly respect her, she actually seems to be doing something that's advancing collective human understanding in the math and sciences which is really cool. I was in the same classes as her, but the gap between her and the rest of the class was fairly apparent. I actually told my parents I could never be valedictorian... like that was a statistical impossibility, and they understood lol. She's likely the most gifted academic our locality has ever produced and likely will produce for decades.
The 2nd smartest was actually a close friend back in high school. He was a "cool" kid, girls, was pretty good in sports. I actually don't know how he's doing at this point, but he wasn't doing too well last I checked, just getting high and on retail jobs. His standardized test scores were high enough that Stanford even contacted him. His family was really poor. It's one of the few friend's houses I went to where I recoiled a bit by the stench. He at least had the potential but yeah... sad story.
5points
Having people expect great things from you does not mean you have to follow the script they wrote for you. A student everyone thinks will become a doctor might discover they would rather build a business, work in the arts, or do something completely different.
Sometimes, the best thing you can do is build a life that actually feels right for you instead of trying to live up to everyone else’s expectations.
#19
He's a chicken farmer in Canada and if you know anything about chicken farming in Canada, you know it's a license to print money.
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5points
#20
One of my friends graduated top of the class scored extremely high on ACT/SAT, voted most likely to succeed, received a full ride to a great school then flunked out after a year. He just partied too much. I think he is a delivery driver now.
I was the complete opposite, partied a lot in high school didn’t really take class serious, scored below average on the ACT. I got my life together in college (still had a lot of fun though, just with discipline) I’m a physician now.
I was the complete opposite, partied a lot in high school didn’t really take class serious, scored below average on the ACT. I got my life together in college (still had a lot of fun though, just with discipline) I’m a physician now.
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5points