I wish my younger self had been blessed with a good mentor. I did reach out to teachers and school staff but none of them knew me well enough to mentor me in a meaningful way. My mom didn’t have friends and I didn’t have family members that could fulfill this role.

Had I had a mentor in high school, college, or even after, my life might be different. I turned out okay, but I sometimes feel like my life is a textbook example of wasted potential because it took me so long to grow up and figure things out on my own.

I took the SAT at age 12 and scored at or above the 98th percentile in math and verbal. I aced tests for classes I hadn’t attended. And yet I barely graduated HS and I dropped out of college a few times because I kept asking myself, “what’s the point?”

I hope at least one person sees this thread and it keeps them from doubting their potential.

If you want to do something or be someone — go after it. Don’t let a lack of guidance or support keep you down. You got this.