be honest , are you the most successful person from your year of high school?

[Gumbo4x4]

I think that is true of a lot of us! I was far more interested in my social life than my academic life in high school!

And we probably all define success in different ways. To me it is education, although it doesn't have to be college. It just has been for the majority of those I am thinking about as I type.

I have to say "education" being the measure of success is the most unique measurement I've yet to hear. Just goes to show everyone has their own very specific measurement.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I've never thought about it that way. I just hope that people are as happy/content as I am, or better.

 

[JoeA]

Not sure about successful but I am darn sure that I'm the most awesome!

 

[Liberty Belle]

out of your year group of high school , would you say you have been the most successful since?

LOL No.

 

[DopeyDame]

I came from a really small all girls school and over 20 years later am still in touch with the majority of my class (many just on facebook, although several in person/email/phone/etc) But define success? I am amazed at what some of my classmates have accomplished and I know some of them think my job is pretty cool/interesting/prestigious.
But I have a classmate who is a social worker at a Childrens Hospital. She makes far less than the classmate who is a big-time NYC lawyer, but she absolutely transforms lives every single day. I'd say both of them are pretty darn successful. And several really brilliant friends are now fantastic stay at home moms.
Fortunately, I think almost everyone in my class is happy and healthy and living a life of which they should be proud.

 

[scrapquitler]

I might not be the most successful, but I do believe I am the most fabulous.

 

[VandVsmama]

It depends on what your definition of success is. If "successful" = being rich and making lots of money? Then no, I'm not very successful. Not at all. If "successful" = being famous? Nope, not successful at that either.

But being rich and famous doesn't always bring happiness. Happiness comes from within.

My husband and I have successfully remained married to each other for 20 years. That's a pretty big deal since over half of marriages end in divorce these days and we got married when I was 22 and he was only 23.

I'm very successful with regards to a few other things:

• I have a roof over my head and a warm bed to sleep in.
• Finished college & got a degree. Didn't end up in a career in that field, though, but I really enjoy the job that I have right now.
• My kids are caring, generous, non-judgemental, and are kind to others regardless of race, ethnicity, or religion. I'm pretty proud of this.
• I've cultivated an awesome garden at home with native plants and it all lives on natural rainfall without supplemental irrigation. And it looks pretty fabulous, if I may say so.

I have yet to go to a high school reunion. I have no desire to. It's not really for any particular reason. I just don't really want to spend a huge amount of money to spend a couple of hours with people who I haven't seen in 25 years. I figure that with social media now, if they wanted to contact me, they would have by now. I wish them all the best. But my parents long since moved away from the town where I graduated from high school and I have no other family living in that area anymore. And going to a high school reunion would mean an expensive plane ticket, rental car, hotel, meals, etc. Honestly, for that same amount of money, I could go to Disneyland and I'd much rather go to Disneyland with my family than spend 2 hours at a party with people I took classes with 25 years ago.

 

[MrsDuck]

500 kids in my graduating class... don't know how anyone would gauge that accurately!

 

[littleblackegg]

I think I probably come out in the top 10%. Definitely not the most successful, but in the group of the most educated, regarded in our fields and published.

 

[littleblackegg]

It depends on what your definition of success is. If "successful" = being rich and making lots of money? Then no, I'm not very successful. Not at all. If "successful" = being famous? Nope, not successful at that either.

But being rich and famous doesn't always bring happiness. Happiness comes from within.

My husband and I have successfully remained married to each other for 20 years. That's a pretty big deal since over half of marriages end in divorce these days and we got married when I was 22 and he was only 23.

I'm very successful with regards to a few other things:

• I have a roof over my head and a warm bed to sleep in.
• Finished college & got a degree. Didn't end up in a career in that field, though, but I really enjoy the job that I have right now.
• My kids are caring, generous, non-judgemental, and are kind to others regardless of race, ethnicity, or religion. I'm pretty proud of this.
• I've cultivated an awesome garden at home with native plants and it all lives on natural rainfall without supplemental irrigation. And it looks pretty fabulous, if I may say so.

I have yet to go to a high school reunion. I have no desire to. It's not really for any particular reason. I just don't really want to spend a huge amount of money to spend a couple of hours with people who I haven't seen in 25 years. I figure that with social media now, if they wanted to contact me, they would have by now. I wish them all the best. But my parents long since moved away from the town where I graduated from high school and I have no other family living in that area anymore. And going to a high school reunion would mean an expensive plane ticket, rental car, hotel, meals, etc. Honestly, for that same amount of money, I could go to Disneyland and I'd much rather go to Disneyland with my family than spend 2 hours at a party with people I took classes with 25 years ago.

Your garden sounds amazing!

 

[andiraye]

Nope! My HS class has people who are doing incredible things. There are a couple of world renowned policy experts, a CIA agent, a few insanely successful hedge funders... I'm not doing terribly but I'm just an ordinary mom/professional. Even when we were kids our class was predicted to be crazy successful. There were an unusually high number of super bright overachievers. Kind of amazing.

 

[DawnM]

I have to say "education" being the measure of success is the most unique measurement I've yet to hear. Just goes to show everyone has their own very specific measurement.

Really? See, and in my circles, this is a strong measure of success. It isn't the only, but it is important.

 

[A W Reezy]

I would say early on I was one of the most successful. I got lucky and ended up with my career when I was 18. I was building my first home at 20 while most of my peers were in college or graduating. Now, 10 years later after our graduation, I'd venture to say there are quite a few that are more successful than I am. That's ok... I'll manage!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Really? See, and in my circles, this is a strong measure of success. It isn't the only, but it is important.

Definitely not something that would be a measure of "success" in my circle. For starters, even my friend with PHDs earned them 20+ years ago. And I tend to think of "successful people" in terms of what they're currently doing, not what they did in their 20's before their career even started. Would I rank a teacher over an engineer because the former job requires a masters while the latter a bachelors? No to that too.

Now, obviously education & "traditional" success often go hand in hand. But, I would never consider the education itself to be a measure of success (except maybe in cases where huge challenges were overcome in the process).

And again, that's not to say my version is any more correct than your version of "success". It's just interesting to find how varied is the "norm".

 

[China Expat]

No, but I live the farthest away from my HS and have a fascinating career. Most successful? member of my class received a Harvard MBA and let's just say, he was a pretty big deal at Apple, Inc. from the early days!

 

[ronandannette]

No, but I was the first to get married.

That distinction would have gone to a friend of mine that married our Chemistry teacher in the fall of the year we graduated. It was such a total scandal back in the day but given what I know now about the relative maturity levels of a 19 y.o. girl and a 24 y.o. guy, it was actually a pretty compatible pairing.

 

[DawnM]

Definitely not something that would be a measure of "success" in my circle. For starters, even my friend with PHDs earned them 20+ years ago. And I tend to think of "successful people" in terms of what they're currently doing, not what they did in their 20's before their career even started. Would I rank a teacher over an engineer because the former job requires a masters while the latter a bachelors? No to that too.

Now, obviously education & "traditional" success often go hand in hand. But, I would never consider the education itself to be a measure of success (except maybe in cases where huge challenges were overcome in the process).

And again, that's not to say my version is any more correct than your version of "success". It's just interesting to find how varied is the "norm".

Yeah, we just view it differently.

I value what someone did 20 years ago because it means something now.....neither my DH nor I could have the jobs we have had we not gotten advanced degrees. My husband has moved up the ladder to the point where he can only move one more step and he is unwilling to do so because it would require about twice the time and effort he is currently giving and he would rather use that time with his kids before they are grown and have family time. That is fine with me. It was a conscious decision on our part.

I can't tell you the 40 something year olds who complain to me that they can't do X or Y because they don't have "that piece of paper." One of my friend's husband's drives me nuts. He is literally 1 year away from completing his degree, which in his line of work would mean an immediate promotion and salary increase. His former school of 25+ years ago is willing to work with him and credit him for everything he took in the past. They are offering online and night classes. He won't do it. Instead he complains and gripes. Over 10 years of it.

Anyway, don't mean to go on and on about it. I fully understand others have different measures of what success means.

 

[DawnM]

No, but I was the first to get married.

Most of the class got married before I did!

 

[StephMK]

I graduated in a class of 1000 so no, not even close. I am happy in life with my family, what I have, and how we live and would guess it's the same story for a certain percentage of classmates. Just of the ones I know something about there are several who are successful in terms of work or wealth. Those include a female rocket scientist, a restaurant owner, CFO, international consultant, and a business owner who has been making news based on the type of business.

 

[soccerdad72]

Yes

...as far as anyone knows on the Internet, that is...