Describe something you learned in high school.
I learned that unless one’s future is so ‘obviously’ predetermined, the interest and behaviour of an 11 to 16 year old kid are not necessarily an indicator of the adult to follow.
One of my teachers could not see ‘me’ beyond my interest in football (soccer) ⚽️ and Liverpool Football Club (yes, I have been a supporter of the Reds since a kid), which he confirmed in my school report (which I still possess!).
The fact that I went on to gain three degrees, one of which is a Masters in Law, finishing top of my year; having had two professions, and being Called to the Bar of England & Wales and, thus, having rights of audience up to the Supreme Court; and being addressed in court as a ‘Learned’ Friend taught me that one lesson from high school, which is that a person who is employed to teach pupils their specialism does not possess a crystal ball on their pupils’ future outcome anymore or less than the pupils have of their own. But, for sure, pupils have more control over their futures than a label put on or assessment made of them, especially one, like me, who was yet to find his feet in this world and hadn’t even worked beyond delivering newspapers before school.
Copyright © Ryan Clement 2026
Ryan Clement 