TJ alumni FB thread on what graduates actually do

[Anonymous]

I wish certain parents could see an amazing, nearly 800-comment long FB thread of the non-STEM things that TJ alums are doing with their lives. So many people have rejected money and stereotypical “success” in favor of careers that make them happy. It’s pretty eye-opening.

[Anonymous]

I commented on that thread!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I commented on that thread!

What do you do/what’s your story?

[Anonymous]

There are lots of fun professions there. A number of lawyers, military officers, pastors/rabbis, professors/teachers of languages, writing and other non science subjects, a fair number of people making their living in the arts (singers, screenwriters, artists), state department employees.

[Anonymous]

Lawyer = a fun profession?

This listing makes me winder if either (a) kids who really aren't that interested in stem are pushed into thinking they have to ho to TJ b/c it's there, or (b) they had so much STEM at TJ that they burned out and went tbe opposite direction.

[Anonymous]

The guy who played the KIng in The King and I’s Kennedy Center run was a Tj grad.

So is the couple that started Ideavention, which taught jacience classes when my kids were little, and is now a private school with a STaeM focus.

I know a TJ grad who owns his own company doing something I don’t understand with CS.

These folks are all in their 40s— graduated in the first few years of ztzj as a magnet.

[Anonymous]

If you don’t think law is a cool profession, I suggest you might want to try living in a society that doesn’t have laws or ways for citizens to enforce them. Some of the lawyers are civil rights lawyers. Some are IP lawyers. Some are JAG lawyers. There are many ways to apply intelligence. One theme is how the education provided prepared the alums to write well.

[Anonymous]

And there would be no sex if there were no hookers...

(I am not attacking TJ, but I certainly won't defend lawyers.)

[Anonymous]

I went to TJ in the 90s. Given the incredible potential of the students there, I am not particularly impressed with the paths that people have taken, as I know the struggles some have faced along the way. TJ does lead to success in many cases but leads to burnout, depression and disappointment in many cases too. I know I feel i wasted precious years of my life there, yet people would consider me a TJ success story for what I have done with my career. Given the changes in the school culture and the flaws in the admissions system, I would not expect the rates of success to continue. Sure there will be doctors, engineers, etc but they would likely have follower the same path from their base high school.

It would be interesting to compare with what other top magnets and top private school grads are doing.

[Anonymous]

Interesting, because I am confident that DC has learned more than would have been covered in base school, in every class, including non-STEM courses, and had a very good time, including by participating in sports -- successfully, oddly enough -- that would not have been an option at base school. Does not seem to have had some of the social pressures that another DC not at TJ has had at other schools, which seem more likely to lead to depression and anxiety that working hard does, in our one family's experience.

When do you think the burnout & depression shows up? In high school? Or later?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting, because I am confident that DC has learned more than would have been covered in base school, in every class, including non-STEM courses, and had a very good time, including by participating in sports -- successfully, oddly enough -- that would not have been an option at base school. Does not seem to have had some of the social pressures that another DC not at TJ has had at other schools, which seem more likely to lead to depression and anxiety that working hard does, in our one family's experience.

When do you think the burnout & depression shows up? In high school? Or later?

+1

[Anonymous]

It's a farce that TJ is about STEM

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting, because I am confident that DC has learned more than would have been covered in base school, in every class, including non-STEM courses, and had a very good time, including by participating in sports -- successfully, oddly enough -- that would not have been an option at base school. Does not seem to have had some of the social pressures that another DC not at TJ has had at other schools, which seem more likely to lead to depression and anxiety that working hard does, in our one family's experience.

When do you think the burnout & depression shows up? In high school? Or later?

+1

Absolutely there are many happy kids who can handle and thrive at TJ. I'm sure I appeared that way as well, and may have believed I was fine. It bubbled under the surface while at TJ for many people I knew, well before TJ Vents documented these things. Cutting, drugs, and risky behavior were occurring there in the 90s. Supportive families and friends got people through high school, butoften things further unraveled in college. TJ kids can be good at hiding things, so it often seemed very sudden and unexpected. The pressure to do well is all they know and it can be very hard to face when things don't go well. Adolescence is when mental health issues show up, and it's often hard to draw the line between run of the mill stress and something more. Many TJ kids are seeking additional help from mental health professionals. Comparing myself to friends and relatives who went to base schools instead of TJ, they are very happy and successful - many doctors, engineers, teachers, lawyers, etc. Not sure if it was worth it in the end. Though it seemed like I was learning alot at the time, it was hard to retain the info because there was so much input. I totally struggled in a few college classes that should have been easy after TJ, even though I had As at TJ. These are just anecdotes, and I'm sure there are a number of grads who would still say they loved their time at TJ.

I think TJ is working hard to create a healthier environment and do all they can to prevent self-harm. I think they want to work on cheating and homework levels. Obviously there are many parents and kids who want to go there. I can tell you that I would not want my kids there for many reasons, including the lack of diversity.

[Anonymous]

I hear you on the diversity, which is an issue the County and school are trying to address (TJ does not have any say in its own admissions process...) - but in some ways the school is very much more diverse that some of the base schools ... DC has been exposed to so many cultures -- many more than DC would have encountered at base school.

[Anonymous]

To the farce poster - please, take advantage of a chance to visit TJ - you will see it is about STEM (and many other things, too).