First, a little background. The Sterling Scholar program is a competition of sorts among Utah high school students in key areas of study. Winners at all levels are almost certainly handed college scholarships. In high school I was much more into the “trades” than traditional topics; drafting, carpentry, and electronics. I was the nominee from all of these departments.

The competition came down to me and a female from the culinary arts (read: home economics) department. As you already guessed from the title of this post, I didn’t win. When I asked what I could have done better, I was told be one of my most trusted teachers that “she had better legs”. Ouch!

That combined with some issues in a state drafting competition, left me fairly bitter for the past 15 years. But, recently while reading Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell (see book report) I realized that if I had won the Sterling Scholar award, my life would have been very different. Gladwell talks about how the opportunities we are given and the experiences we have throughout our lives define us more than any other influence.

I would have certainly gone on to be an architect, spending at least 9 years in college. A respectable profession, yes. Something I would have been happy doing, no. Instead I was given the opportunity to see a bit how the real world works, and in turn evaluate whether I really wanted to spend 9 years in a politically charged college environment. It took me a while to come around, but after an eye opening discussion with a college professor, I realized that learning, and potential for success, has nothing to do with school and everything to do with our own internal desire to acquire knowledge and grow.

I quit college and have been learning ever since. Bucking the system at every turn.

What opportunities in your life have defined who you are?