I find it kind of sad that there was no ambition among the "Popular People" from my old high school

[WinterSolider]

or became SAHMs.

Oh no, not SAHMs!

 

[cabanafrau]

I'd be mighty curious what perch someone is sitting on when posting such a blanket and judgmental dismissal of lives undoubtedly offered with next to no personal information to substantiate the hypothesis? Wonder what happens if the klieg lights are directed up to the vantage point so far above it all? Would they reveal flawless perfection, or just flaws on a shoddy facade?

 

[MillauFr]

I went to typical middle class public school district in a semi rural suburban area during the 2000s.

Most of the male athletes went into the military or blue collar work.

The "Popular Girls" went into nursing, lower level office work, or became SAHMs.

I find it kind of sad that none of the "Popular Girls" from my school became high powered corporate women, scientists, engineers, actresses, or musicians.

The American school system and American culture needs to be improved.

Yes but as someone else said it was the geeky people that were on the computer and math club are the billionaires and high powered executives. The people spending their time playing sports are working at the local warehouse making barely above minimum. Not sure if that is really sad or not.

 

[mom2rtk]

OP, are you getting more of the kind of answers you want this time?

 

[Allison]

How does any occupation you named not show ambition?

What do you do?

 

[tvguy]

There is nothing wrong with the public schools. 99% of those Asian kids that get into Harvard which everyone complains about, went to public schools. Lets be honest, most Genzers are lazy. My nephew has tissy fit if he is asked to work overtime. When I was that age we were delighted to work overtime. They have this thing now called work life balance, my direction was more money makes a better life.

Well, my daughter has gone back to College in Germany at age 34. She is the only American in her program of International students from place like the Middle East, Japan, Portugal and the U.K. For example, despite graduating from a PRIVATE American High School with a tougher curriculum that the public schools here, she never took Calculus in High School. Her College Calculus class was designed to be a review of High School Calculus, and it sunk her. It was material she had never seen before, yet her classmates said it was an EASY review. She is the only American in a new program so it is something the College is going to have to consider when admitting American students in the future.
It is clear to her, our high schools are not anywhere as tough in math and science education as those in other nations. By a long shot.
She admits, she has also discovered the entire concept of someone "going back to school" is a little out of sync outside the U.S. She is more than a decade older than her classmates. And older than most of her Professors.

 

[kdonnel]

They have this thing now called work life balance, my direction was more money makes a better life.

I have never talked to someone on their deathbed who lamented they wished they worked more.

I have talked to my father on his deathbed who often worked 2-4 jobs at a time. He was always at work because he thought more money would make a better life.

He never passed up working, especially overtime. Thanksgiving consisted of meeting him at work as his job was a food inspector for the US Army. We would eat at a dining facility on what was then Ft Benning, spending at most an hour with him, before heading home while he continued to work.

His total lack of work life balance was his biggest regret as he laid dying.

Even before his death bed confession, I made sure I was present in my families life.

 

[focusondisney]

OP, are you getting more of the kind of answers you want this time?

Judging by his post history, he won’t be back to answer anyone’s questions. But in about a year he’ll ask another version of the same question.

 

[Mle8308]

I went to typical middle class public school district in a semi rural suburban area during the 2000s.

Most of the male athletes went into the military or blue collar work.

The "Popular Girls" went into nursing, lower level office work, or became SAHMs.

I find it kind of sad that none of the "Popular Girls" from my school became high powered corporate women, scientists, engineers, actresses, or musicians.

The American school system and American culture needs to be improved.

This is one of the most insulting things I've read on here in a long time. Who are you to judge?

 

[LuvOrlando]

Yikes, judgy and immature all in one.

 

[citruscurtis]

This is one of the most insulting things I've read on here in a long time. Who are you to judge?

Well... maybe we can hijack this thread.. and ask the question... how many folks went online to find your classmates . after the creation of this thread... I don't have Facebook for that very reason so for sure missing out on all the drama and I never signed into those reunion websites.. first.. when they find me.. they will discover pages... some criminal in nature , but historical criminal and other pages..he sure succeeded in yearbook prophecy.....SO.. I took some time to explore and all I found were sad peers.. that were sad 50 years ago

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

So what have you done?

And were you held back in school because you would not have been going to high school in the 2000's for the age your profile says...

 

[Praying Colonel]

Our most popular girl liked to play the dumb blonde, but she finished #3 in our class of 250, got her PhD in biochemistry and has taught in college and high school for 30 years.

 

[VandVsmama]

I went to typical middle class public school district in a semi rural suburban area during the 2000s.

Most of the male athletes went into the military or blue collar work.

The "Popular Girls" went into nursing, lower level office work, or became SAHMs.

I find it kind of sad that none of the "Popular Girls" from my school became high powered corporate women, scientists, engineers, actresses, or musicians.

The American school system and American culture needs to be improved.

No offense, but who gives a rip what your high school classmates are doing now 20-ish years after graduation? Move on.

 

[barkley]

Yes but as someone else said it was the geeky people that were on the computer and math club are the billionaires and high powered executives. The people spending their time playing sports are working at the local warehouse making barely above minimum. Not sure if that is really sad or not.

I hate to raise the question but....is this for real? I ask b/c I graduated from a fairly large well funded public school district with a HEAVILY (financially and community) supported athletic program and over the decades i've never seen any kind of lesser ambition/success among those I attended with who were big sport participants vs. any others I attended with (myself-i never met a sport I liked ). sure I had some very academically focused classmates (lots of future stanford, uc berkeley and cal tech grads in my class) but there were equally ambitious 'jocks' who had aspirations off the field (some on the field-parlayed into sports management, sports medicine, coaching both at the academic and professional level...). did some of the athletes end up working in warehouses or in what many would consider unskilled jobs ? maybe some of them did but so did some of the incredibly academic (it is surprising the number of postal carriers that have grad and doctoral degrees).

 

[Frwinkley]

Well, my daughter has gone back to College in Germany at age 34. She is the only American in her program of International students from place like the Middle East, Japan, Portugal and the U.K. For example, despite graduating from a PRIVATE American High School with a tougher curriculum that the public schools here, she never took Calculus in High School. Her College Calculus class was designed to be a review of High School Calculus, and it sunk her. It was material she had never seen before, yet her classmates said it was an EASY review. She is the only American in a new program so it is something the College is going to have to consider when admitting American students in the future.
It is clear to her, our high schools are not anywhere as tough in math and science education as those in other nations. By a long shot.
She admits, she has also discovered the entire concept of someone "going back to school" is a little out of sync outside the U.S. She is more than a decade older than her classmates. And older than most of her Professors.

My DD graduated from high school in 2011. She took Calculus I and Calculus II in 11th grade and 12th grade respectively. These classes were not mandatory, but were part of the math track that she chose.