Findings

By Debra Viadero

High school valedictorians rarely turn out to be top achievers or risk-takers in life. That's what Boston College researcher Karen Arnold found after tracking 46 women and 35 men who were at the top of their high school classes when they graduated in 1981. By age 32, few of the valedictorians, Arnold found, had turned out to be outstanding in their fields or had taken unconventional paths. "They're extremely well-rounded and successful, personally and professionally," says Arnold, who is an associate professor of education. "But they've never been devoted to a single area in which they put all their passion. They obey rules, work hard, and like learning, but they're not the mold-breakers." For the most part, she found, the former valedictorians chose careers in accounting, law, medicine, engineering, and teaching. And the career ambitions of the women faded as they grew older. Midway through college, many of the women switched their majors from a high-powered technical field to occupations traditionally dominated by females--even though their grades had been high. Seven women quit their jobs later to raise children. "They decided there are lots of ways to be intelligent, not just through occupational success," Arnold says. She discovered that, as college students, the valedictorians were never sufficiently mentored on choosing and developing a career. Four never even finished college. "Just because they could get A's doesn't mean they can translate academic achievement into career achievement," she says. Her findings are the subject of a new book, Lives of Promise: What Becomes of High School Valedictorians ,...