I was a highly gifted child. I skipped a grade in elementary school, was always in the most accelerated math class, and always scored in the 99th percentile on math standardized tests. Even after skipping a grade. In 10th grade, I raised my hand to ask a question in my Algebra 2 class. The male teacher said, “You don’t need to ask any questions. You’re just going to grow up to be a broccoli cooker anyway.”
I went home and told my mother, who herself earned a full college scholarship to study chemistry in the 1950’s. She immediately took me to the school and had me moved out of that class. I always hated math from that point on.
The good news it that I’ve since earned a Masters Degree, and have been highly successful in every job I’ve had. I learned great advocacy skills from my mom, which I now use in raising my own children. And I can steam a pretty good broccoli dish too.