Teachers started recognizing me and praising me for being smart in science and that made me want to be even smarter in science!
Actually, when Vineeth was in class 10, I was invited to his school as the chief guest. Till then I had never accepted an invitation to the school day but since Vineeth was leaving school, I decided to accept the invitation. He was the school leader too.
I never did pageants as a kid, but when I got into high school, I did a couple that were tied to a sort of all-around academic student achievement program, something akin to Junior Miss, but not Junior Miss.
I was Sweater Queen at Bowling Green State University. Oh, that's a laugh, isn't it?
It gives me a very keen satisfaction that, after listening to my blather all those years, former students are now seeing that I wrote a book, that I did have it in me.
I was voted Most Likely to Make a Teacher Retire.
I was never, in my whole school career, given a job as a monitor, a form captain, or a prefect. I never won any kind of prize.
It's quite funny in that I once won Rear of the Year at my school! I was about 17 in the sixth form and we used to have an end of year celebration and give out different awards. I even got a little trophy!
I went to a college prep high school in St. Louis, Missouri. When I graduated from school, I owned this thing called the Headmaster's Cup, and the Headmaster's Cup is for the student who exemplifies the spirit of the institution and is recognized by the faculty and administration.
As someone who went to school in the '70s and '80s, I can't say that I noticed much of a 'medals for all' culture myself.
While I was in school, a local magazine picked the 10 best students, and they picked me and profiled me in the magazine.
