<p>Due to a recent choice DS made in selecting one of his freshman classes, I had an interesting thought - what if this young man, who has always been dogged by difficulties in all aspects of writing (content, composition, grammar, and spelling), had lower scores on the writing sections of the SAT and ACT than on other sections, and had SUCH a hard time putting together his HS papers and college application essays, were to somehow actually end up being a writer? It <em>could</em> happen, he’s so young, so much can change, and the storytelling aspect of video games intrigues him quite a bit (though he is a math wiz and loves to program too). Maybe he will eventually overcome the hurdles that keep him from enjoying writing. (Now that I think about it, I actually <em>hated</em> writing, though I was apparently pretty good at it; yet after somehow deluding myself that law was not mostly writing (duh!), I worked for years in a job that was mostly writing, got pretty good at it, and came to love it. Maybe the apple won’t fall so far from the tree?) </p>
<p>So it got me wondering about other interesting stories of people who ended up happily and/or successfully working in fields that you <em>never</em> would have thought possible or probable, when they were younger? You, your family members, friends, anyone you know of? Like, started out an introverted math major and ended up on the stage? Or vice-versa?</p>
<p>My oldest started out as a STEM major, ended with double majors in English and Anthropology. During his last semester as an undergraduate he took a class where he worked with underserved high schoolers on an English project. He loved it. The professor running the project directed him towards a particular Americorps program. He applied and just finished a year tutoring reading in an urban, low SES, elementary school, with the intention of getting a masters degree and eventually traching high school English. During his Americorps year he realized he loves working with young students, and that he can make the most impact on lives by working with younger kids. He is startiing a KIPP Foundation fellowship next week. He will be teaching first grade in an urban, elementary charter school for the next three years, and will end up with a Masters Degree paid for through a grant earned by the year of tutoring and a huge tuition discount at a particular university as part of the KIPP fellowship.</p>
<p>Well, I have zero ability in spatial ability - my mind sees everything in 2D, period. And I’m a structural engineer! Everything is 3D! I have had to train myself almost mathematically, to connect points up to visualize structures in my mind. It is kind of a miracle that I do as well as I do, ha!</p>
<p>In middle and high school, due to various disfunctions, I became a total math-phobe. Convinced I “couldn’t do math”, I didn’t go on to pursue an interest in architecture. Now I have a BS in Civil Engineering, an MA in Math, and a PhD in Physics. </p>
<p>No one would have guessed I’d end up in an engineering area. </p>
<p>S1 had significant LD issues in middle school and HS with organization, writing, notetaking, getting any written work turned in etc. He successfully graduated from law school and is working as a policy analyst for legislative affairs in a federal agency. Never saw that one coming. </p>
<p>^ Back in the day, through hs, my brother had immense issues with detail and following directions/standards. Lo and behold, once his interest was captured (outside the sameness of the hs environment,) he woke up in college, got a humanities degree, and later thrived in a high tech, very precision-oriented sales/management job, later running his own company. </p>
<p>D was/is an voracious reader, won a HS english department award, ended up with an 800 on her CR and a 790 on Writing (vs a 680 on Math)…and went into Engineering. To her advantage though- sometimes it feels like a well-read, well-spoken engineer is hard to find!!</p>
<p>In high school I was never a fan of math, thought psychology was too “fluffy,” and said that the ONE thing I was sure I would never do (aside from the obvious, like stripping) was going into research. I graduated with a major in psychology, a minor in math, and now I’m in a psychology PhD program. Goes to show you don’t know what you want in high school, a lot of the time. </p>
<p>@JustaMom, before computers, other engineers would ask me to check their spelling. I also enjoy writing and proofreading technical reports. Written communication is very important for engineers! We often have to explain our reasoning to other engineers and laypeople. </p>
<p>My wife’s neighbor, growing up in suburban NJ, was gifted in math and sciences and got 800s on both math and verbal SATs. She went on to get a Masters degree in … pottery. We still bump into her at local art shows.</p>
<p>These are some great stories. I am going to share them with my S and some of his friends. I think they should have a presentation along these lines for kids heading off to college, just to encourage them to explore and ‘keep their options open’ as they go.</p>
<p>In high school, my D was an emo kid who wore converse tennis shoes, skinny jeans, and tight t-shirts. (And not just any t-shirts, either - they all had the names of obscure indie/emo/punk bands on the front, and if an adult had ever head of that band, she wouldn’t wear the shirt again.) She was all about music and moodiness.</p>
<p>She went off to school unsure of her major - some kind of business but definitely not accounting because accountants are too boring.</p>
<p>You can see where this is heading. Today she is happily, gainfully employed as an accountant.</p>
<p>I have a relative who went to college with the intention of becoming a social worker. She ended up graduating with a business degree and then getting an MBA. She is now an investment banker. </p>