Sometimes you get hit by a wave of curiosity, wondering where that one person from school is now. Social media has done wonders to allow us to keep in touch, even when we maybe would prefer to keep our distance, but sometimes it can be interesting to hear others’ experiences.
A netizen wanted to hear others’ stories about where the “smart kid” from school ended up after everyone graduated. From brilliant careers, and weird turns to tragedy, the internet delivered, so prepare to sift through a multitude of human experiences, be sure to upvote your favorites and comment your own tales below. We also got in touch with therapist and neuroscientist Bobbi Banks to learn more.
More info: Bobbi Banks | Instagram
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He went to Harvard Law School then moved back and created a startup that helps make healthcare accessible in disadvantaged communities. Was a great guy then and great guy now.
That was me. I'm now a stay-at-home dad of four wonderful kids and in a loving, sixteen year marriage. My wife is my best friend. While I may not have reached my full potential academically, I'm happy. Very happy. I realized that life is too short to care about anything other than living my life the way that I want to, not the way that I'm expected to.
Having a big brain and a big job, and not finding happiness is just awful. I am happy for you!!
I amounted to nothing.
Is what most people would say looking at me. But the truth is I am living a satisfying and happy life, no debt because I chose not to go to college, a wonderful woman who is madly in love with me and I her, and I enjoy my free time doing what I love. I'm happy. I'm not rich. I don't have a prestigious job or title, but I am legitimately satisfied with life.
I win.
Bored Panda got in touch with award-winning integrative counselor, coach, and neuroscientist Bobbi Banks to learn more about how high school affects a person's development. “High school is considered a key period in our development. It’s a time when we start to establish our identity and how we fit into the world around us. Whether filled with positive or negative experiences, it’s a time of many firsts and emotionally charged memories.”
“Strong emotions often equal strong memories, which explains why we often think of people from high school in the later stages of life. Apart from the general curiosity we all have, we check up on the people from our past who made us feel something. It’s often closely linked to what’s currently going on in our lives or perhaps something we’re missing, longing for, or even something we’re trying to heal from. Essentially, it stems from the desire to experience certain feelings again or to process painful memories which may have been triggered in our present.”
Smartest guy from my high school became an actual rocket scientist.
Dropped out of college to marry and support the much younger woman he got pregnant. Now (30 years later) owns a boardgame store with a large back room for mini painting and games and plays dad to half the neurodivergent kids in town. Still married to the same woman too. It's not a high flying life but he makes a difference to so many people.
To make y'all feel better: He was 23 I think and she was 18, a big age gap when you're young. It was also in the Netherlands, were at least at the time (I've been gone a while) we didn't really care so much as long as it wasn't a 10 year difference or one of them was under 15. Teenagers have sex drives, it happens.
Superstar pediatric neurosurgeon.
Most confident person I’ve ever met. (Guess you’d have to be, to cut open a little kid’s skull and operate on their brain.)
We had two smartest ones. One became a neuroscientist doing international research and the other one a stay at home parent of a 4-5 kids ,writing urban fantasy for fun. Both are equally happy and enjoys their choosen paths 😀
Even as adults, people still invoke feelings and concepts about who one was in school. “The people who have had mainly positive memories may find themselves longing for the sense of belonging, connection, freedom, and acceptance they may have experienced, especially when they’re facing challenges or are feeling disconnected in the present. Revisiting such memories or reconnecting with those people in some way is an attempt to recapture the feelings or provide temporary relief,” Bobbi shared with Bored Panda.
That was me! Or smartest as in best achieving academically. Went on to uni and studied history and a masters in medieval history, graduated both top of the class. Everyone expected me to do a PhD but I found academics too lonely and wanted to have a more social workplace so became a history teacher in high school instead and love it!
There were two. They were twins. They're both geneticists now with PHDs, and they work at the same university.
He went to MIT, works for Apple, and has a very expensive home in California. He also has a wife and 4 kids and seems to be very happy. I remember he was programming games in high school and was valedictorian. A big nerd who became a wealthy big nerd.
“On the other hand, people who have had negative or traumatic experiences may also often recollect painful memories from high school and the people behind them. This can be a way of processing unresolved emotions, healing the wounds they carry, and seeking closure. Contemplating the challenging relationships of the past can also be a means of reaffirming their personal boundaries and ensuring they avoid repeating unhealthy patterns in their present and future interactions.”
Guy had 3 scholarship offers, lasted 1 year in uni before jumping off a building. Feel sorry for him and his family.
Died from a brain tumour right after he graduated high school. He was dang smart. Could play the piano upside down too.
She got a PhD is Neuroscience from Stanford and I think she's a professor or associate professor somewhere now. She was possibly the sweetest girl I'd ever met. I was an intelligent underachiever, and ended up in a few AP courses with her because our teachers saw my test scores and refused to continue to let me do dips**t things with my dips**t friends; she was always super proud of me when I actually showed up and put some effort in and, Lo and behold, got excellent marks. Honestly she really turned around the last 2 years of HS for me. Also she's wicked hot now. A hot genius.
“Ultimately, reminiscing about both positive and negative aspects of high school experiences can serve as a powerful catalyst for self-discovery and self-awareness. It allows us to confront our past selves, reflect on our vulnerabilities, and appreciate the lessons we learned along the way. By recognizing the connections between our past and present, we become better equipped to shape a more meaningful and fulfilling future.”
I ended up being a drug addict and a cook at a bar. Being smart doesn't do anything if it just drives you to insecurity and depression, except make you loathe yourself for not living up to your potential.
I hope OP gets help and realizes it is never too late to fulfill dreams.
Not my class but the one above me, and it was my brother. He was superlative winner: best smile, most likely to be famous, likely to succeed, best dressed, most likely to be famous, etc… the school made him pick two. He also won prom king and fulfilled all his projected roles.
As his little sister, my big brother is my absolute HERO of a human all around. He is a PA making bank, drives a cool car, humble af, has a beautiful gf I hope to call my SIL one day.
Me? I got “seinoritis” and the school had to call my Mom to let me know I needed to show up for superlative pics lol. I’m an artist. I work with rockstars on the spectrum. I have a hundred plants and solo travel to go hiking. Imo, WE made it. All the money in the world wouldn’t put me through his academic endurance. He is such a great role model, I’m so blessed to have him as my big brother and best friend. He calls me for his mental turmoils and I make time. I call him when I made a new art/plant sale. Our relationship is unmatched.
Lastly, we wanted to know if high school really can show who a person will be or if it’s not the be-all, end-all of a person’s life. “Although high school plays a significant role in shaping our identity and values, I don't believe it's the sole determinant of future success or happiness. It's only a chapter and luckily we are the authors of our life story. The past will always be a part of us but we shouldn't forget that today's actions also hold power in determining tomorrow's reality.”
Bobbi has resources available on her blog here, and you can find her Instagram page here.
He is currently an aerospace engineer who played a big role in the engineering of the Canadarm.
I believe he works for NASA. He deleted his Facebook a while ago (like the smartest kid in our class would do), but that’s what he was doing last I checked.
It's my biggest desire to fly up into space one day. And an even greater desire to make it back alive
He got his PhD in engineering, started his own company, and was a multimillionaire by 45.
Crushed under the weight of expectations and mental illness he burned out and works call centers now instead of his full potential.
She married a religious fruitcake 12 years older than she was almost immediately after graduation and started pumping out kids. Never went to college. Has never had a job. Spends her days on Facebook shaming people for being sinners.
He was an idealist, became a priest and served in the Vatican, became disillusioned and left the church, got two masters degrees, and died by his own hand. He was a truly good person who couldn’t marry his ideals with the reality of the church.
I see a theme here: get into academia, become a religious nutcase, or take your own life. Seems he did all three of them
All the pressure made me have a mental break down in college. I was diagnosed with many illnesses mentally. Finished my first round with a 3.98.
Got diagnosed with fibromyalgia. F****d my body and memory so bad i had to quit my job working at our doctor's office. Developed severe myofascial pelvoc pain syndrome.
I lost everything. Including my husband. He cheated and left because not working made me not part of the team.
I wish I put more effort into experiences rather than education as now I'm disabled and it all feels pointless and worthless as I'm in debt I can't work out of.
your story is very similar to mine even to having the disease taking away everything. i mourned for about five years and then woke up and said life is going to be what i make it. so, even in daily pain and often disappointed with the fact that i still lose the ability to do certain things as the disease progresses - please don't give up! but, also remember that it is perfectly okay to be angry/resentful. i have about 2 pity party days a year and then pull up my granny panties and move on.
He went to ace the board exam... twice in two different fields. I couldn't be prouder. Most importantly, he became my boyfriend and changed many perspectives I had in life. I'd have never lived up to this day were it not for him, and I hope I did (and still do) my best to care for him the same. It wasn't always shiny days. He had very depressive episodes, with lots of doubts and being forced to face heavy pressure. We had a toxic relationship in between and a lot of things weren't healthy at all. I even projected a lot of insecurities, especially being with this very intelligent person compared to my "inferior self". Imagine hormones and adulting mixing up, wow. Fortunately, we are in a sooo much better state right now. Man, was it a journey. We changed and developed as our own individuals, with lots of moments shared together. I'm lucky to have him. I don't care if he's smart or whatever, he's fcking funny and is able to listen to me rant about whatever favorite thing I have for the day. He's not a cat person, but damn I'm trying to convert him through the cat subreddits here. And I'll be here for him.
He is a cat person, he just doesn’t know it yet. When his cat finds him he’ll be converted in an instant and then there’s no going back 🙂
He moved to Poland and became a Molecular Biologist.
Off topic: I'm doing stuff in a molecular biology lab over at Duke Uni, the same one that created the first treatment for GSDII aka Pompe Disease.
She's a professor at Oxford University.
my little sister wants to go to oxford. really low acceptance rate. She’s determined though!
She worked at John’s Hopkins doing research with Psilocybin.
Cool! Isn’t John Hopkins a huge prestigious uni? or is it a hospital? Sorry, not american, not sure :)
After never having even smoked a cigarette or drank alcohol in high school, straight As all the way through, he got a full ride to a really good university. As a freshman he dropped acid, walked out in front of a car and was killed.
[EDIT: Let me correct my post. She married the now SECOND richest man. It’s hard to keep up with the billionaires and how fast their interest doubled their wealth over the pandemic 🙄]
She married the (now) richest man in the world. Divorced him and is now the 4th richest human. Not bad.
She became an right wing religious fanatic with 9 kids.
Everyone is becoming insanely religious isn't it, I mean I am also religious but not this much..
Note: this post originally had 79 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
The smartest kid in my high school class is typing sh!t on Bored Panda; right now, even as we speak (type?) :-)
Smartest in my grade was my best friend, top of the class. She now teaches at our high school in a teeny tiny town. People would say that she really should have moved away, could have gone to a huge university, done more with herself, but I know her and she's happy teaching high school and living close to her family. I fully support and love her.
Same for me. She's awesome doing what she did. :-)
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Guy I knew at school was a straight-A but ended up just being an after-school tutor. Could have done big things. But at least now he's stepping up again and going digital, which helps grow his business. Whereas I was a C- student mostly and I was the one that ended up with high academic achievements (publications, phd, etc), and I was the one that ended up in a high-powered job. Weird hey. Just shows that school marks don't mean that much.
But maybe he is happy. That is actually the true measure of success.
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The smartest kid in my high school class is typing sh!t on Bored Panda; right now, even as we speak (type?) :-)
Smartest in my grade was my best friend, top of the class. She now teaches at our high school in a teeny tiny town. People would say that she really should have moved away, could have gone to a huge university, done more with herself, but I know her and she's happy teaching high school and living close to her family. I fully support and love her.
Same for me. She's awesome doing what she did. :-)
Load More Replies... Guy I knew at school was a straight-A but ended up just being an after-school tutor. Could have done big things. But at least now he's stepping up again and going digital, which helps grow his business. Whereas I was a C- student mostly and I was the one that ended up with high academic achievements (publications, phd, etc), and I was the one that ended up in a high-powered job. Weird hey. Just shows that school marks don't mean that much.
But maybe he is happy. That is actually the true measure of success.
Load More Replies...