18 years old dropped out of school because he didn't meet the graduation requirements

Todd Rose (1974) was born in rural Utah (USA). His childhood was not restricted, but because he was hyperactive, teachers considered him a troublemaker and naughty student.

Todd was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, so his studies were difficult. He received Fs in most of his subjects. This affected his class's performance, so Todd was not highly regarded by his teachers and isolated by his friends. However, Todd always believed that life was more important than grades.

There were times when he was bullied by his classmates, but no one stood up for him. School was the worst place in Todd's memory, because it brought feelings of depression, fear, and even despair. He was lucky that his parents were always there for him and understood what he was doing. Every time the teacher called, his mother would hear about Todd's bad grades or causing trouble at school.

At that time, she just said: "I don't think your low score reflects anything. But I hope you learn to love yourself more." Because she thought that in the process of growing up, you need to have experiences, so you will make mistakes. Therefore, getting angry or scolding your child is useless.

Encouraged by his mother, Todd once stayed up three nights writing poetry to complete his creative writing homework. However, because he was labeled a poor student, his teacher gave him an F and said, "Todd can't write such a good poem. This is a copycat product."

When his mother learned of the news, she brought drafts to school to prove to teachers that Todd had written the poem. This incident made him realize that his efforts were being met with doubt. Despite his efforts, Todd was not trusted by his teachers.

At the age of 18, Todd was told he was not eligible to graduate because of his low GPA of 0.9/4.0. At the same time, unable to bear the pressure at school, Todd decided to drop out. To make ends meet, he worked at a grocery store for $4.25/hour.

While not stopping her son from dropping out of school, his mother still believed that his potential was limitless. She hoped he would find his own path. His father believed that he could make a breakthrough in a field.

Become a professor at a top university in the world

With the encouragement of his family and his belief in the power of education to change lives and circumstances, Todd earned his GED (General Education Development - a certificate equivalent to a high school diploma in the US). He then enrolled in a low-stakes community college. He went to school at night and worked as a salesman during the day to cover his living expenses.

Thanks to his tireless efforts, after graduating from college he received a notice of admission to Weber State University (Ogden, Utah - USA). At the end of his first year, Todd got A's in all his subjects and received a scholarship.

Although his background was not good, Todd was passionate about education research. Later, he received a doctoral scholarship from Harvard University. His childhood may have been unfortunate at school, but his growing up process was encouraged and recognized by his family. This contributed to Todd's constant efforts.

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Having had to drop out of school due to poor academic performance, thanks to his constant efforts, Todd Rose is now a professor at Harvard University.

Talking about Todd's difficulties, his mother said: "I always trust him so I never scold him. Because when he falls behind, he is so tired. At this time, he needs to know that he is loved by his parents and will be safe in his home."

Todd is now a professor at Harvard University. Looking back on his growing up, he emotionally said: "If it weren't for my parents' tolerance, I would probably continue to cause trouble in life. I would never have been where I am today."

Based on his own story, Todd also founded the educational non-profit organization Populace to help young people change the way they study, work and live a full life. He always believes that even poor students can become good people. This concept stems from his empathy for poor students. This, in the past, made Todd feel inferior because he was worse than his friends.

For him, children deserve to study in the public education system. "Instead of restricting or fixing children in a framework, we should learn and develop their potential. Many people compare children to flowers, but forget that flowers will have different flowering periods.

Slow children need to be acknowledged and understood more. Families and schools should be patient, loving and stop urging to wait for the 'flowers to bloom'. This is the most meaningful gift for children," Todd shared the meaning of establishing a non-profit organization on education.

Doctor gives up 30 billion/year salary in UK, returns home to become a professor at age 25 CHINA - Liu Minh Trinh, a doctor at Oxford University, decided to give up a 1 million pound/year salary (more than 30 billion VND), to return home to become a professor at age 25.