Achievements and
Educational Backgrounds
of some people you
know…
Created by Rusty Sturken
Duluth Middle School
Gwinnett County Schools
Original 2007, Updated 2010
Achievements
• Formed first company Traf-O-Data at the
age of 17 and sold it
• Cofounder of Microsoft
• Has created over 90,000 jobs.
• Created an education charity that has an
endowment of $37.3 billion and has
committed $16.5 billion to grants and paid
grants of $2 billion in 2007.
Achievements continued
• He, his wife, and Bono were 2005 Time
magazine “Persons of the Year”
• Preferred food: Cherry Coke and spray
cheese
Education
• Attended public elementary school through 6th
grade
• Enrolled at Lakeside School in Seattle grades 712 and learned how to use a computer for the
first time
• Earned free time on the computer at Computer
Centre Corporation by debugging their
computers
• Student at Harvard University for 2 years then
left to create the Microsoft Corporation
• Harvard is the 2nd best college in America*
Do you know me yet?
See resources slide for source
Bill Gates
From: http://i5.tinypic.com/14ni5op.jpg
From http://yetanotherblog.canalblog.com/images/time.jpg
Achievements
• Selected by Atlanta Braves in 2nd round of
2002 draft
• Before end of first year in Major League
was considered “personal catcher” for
John Smoltz
• First Atlanta Brave to hit a homerun in first
playoff at-bat
• 2006 National League Silver Slugger
• 2008 National League All-Star
• 2010 MVP of the All-Star game
Education
• Graduated from Duluth High School in
2002
• Attended Duluth Middle School 19948???
• 2003 played A League in Rome, Ga
• 2004 Played A League in Myrtle Beach
Brian McCann
http://padresteve.files.wordpress.com/
2010/03/brian-mccann.jpg
From:
http://baseballevolution.com/images/mccann01.jpg
Photo on right shows Brian McCann hitting 3 run double in 2010 All-star Game
Usatoday.com http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0dd77Cv6Seaoa/340x.jpg
Achievements
• Led Parkview High School (a Gwinnett
County School) to AAAAA Georgia state
baseball title
• Batted .443 with 55 homeruns and 164
RBI during high school career
• Star football player as a receiver and
cornerback, led team to undefeated State
championship seasons in 2000 and 2001
Achievements continued
• Selected by Atlanta Braves in 1st round of
2002 free agent draft
• Made his Major League debut with Atlanta
Braves on July 7, 2005
• Won 2007 Gold Glove award for his
outfield play with the Atlanta Braves
• At one time led Major Leagues with 45
outfield assists since his first start
• Played in all 162 games in 2006 and 2007
Education
• Graduated from Parkview High School
in Gwinnett County in 2002
• Was offered a full football scholarship
to Clemson University
• University of Mississippi and Notre
Dame University ( # X best college in
America*) also were interested
Education continued
• Worked as a baseball umpire during
High School
• His mother is a Math teacher at Trickum
Middle School
• Spent all, or part, of 3 seasons in Minor
Leagues
• Said “You have to be focused, ready to
go. You need to know what you have to
do to win.”
Jeff Francoeur
http://i.cnn.net/si/si_online/covers/images/2005/0829_large.jpg
http://old.irishsports.com/subscription/snapcount/2001/10/21/images/06-1.jpg
Achievements
•
Played in her first professional LPGA
event in March of 2002 when 12 years old
• At 11 years old was beating adult men in
amateur golf events
• The youngest person and only one of 4
women to play in a men’s PGA tournament
Education
• Started playing golf at the age of 4
• Graduated from Punahou School in
Honolulu, Hawaii in June, 2007
• September, 2007 enrolled at Stanford
University (5th best college in America*)
Michelle Wie
http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos
/050324/050324_michelle_wie_hmed.hmedium.jpg
Image on left from http://www.usapl.org/2005/news/images/WieInside5651.jpg
Achievements
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Led Lower Merion High School to 1995-1996
AAAA State Basketball Championship in
Pennsylvania
All-time leading scorer in Southeastern
Pennsylvania basketball history
Drafted 13th overall in the 1996 NBA draft by
the Charlotte Hornets
Third youngest player to appear in an NBA
game at 18 years, and 2 months old
Achievements continued
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Won NBA Championships in 2000, 2001,
2002 and 2009-2010
2007-2008 NBA Most Valuable Player
Western Conference starter for NBA All-Star
games 11 years in a row 1998-2009
Involved with several charities including St.
Jude’s Children’s Hospital and Make-a-Wish
Foundation
Created his own education foundation Vivo
del Mondo
Education
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Attended school in Italy while living there for 8
years, speaks fluent Italian
In 1996,graduated from Lower Merion High
School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Scored very well on SAT, said he would have
gone to Duke University if he chose to go to
college (Duke is the 8th best college in
America*)
Kobe Bryant
See resources slide for photo source
See resources slide for photo source
Achievements
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Started political life as a Republican
After law school, worked as a lawyer
for the Children’s Defense Fund
Twice named one of the 100 most
influential lawyers in America
In 2000 was elected as a United
States Senator of New York
Achievements continued
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Was re-elected as Senator of
New York in 2006
Won 1896 delegates in 2008
Democratic Presidential
primaries and caucuses
Became Secretary of State for
the United States in 2009
Education
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Attended Ralph Waldo Emerson
Middle School 1957-1961
Selected for National Honor
Society and was in student
council at Maine East High School
in Ridge Park, Illinois
Graduated for Maine South High
School in 1965 and was a
National Merit Finalist
Senior Class president in high
school
Education continued
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Graduated from Wellesley College in
1969
Chosen by classmates to be “firstever” student commencement
speaker
Graduated from Yale Law School in
1973(the best law school in
America*)
While in law school, represented
foster children and parents in family
Hillary Clinton
Middle School picture from
http://www.ourstory.com/media_detail.html?m=158059
Photo source listed on resources slide
Achievements
• Won the 2002 Walter Payton Award, given
to the nation’s best football player in NCAA
Division I-AA
• Named Ohio Valley Conference Player of
the Year for three straight years
• In 2003, signed by Dallas Cowboys as an
undrafted free agent rookie
• Became Cowboys starting quarterback in
2006
• Selected to 2006 and 2007 Pro Bowls
Education
• 1993, graduated from Burlington High
School in Burlington, Wisconsin
• 2003, graduated from Eastern Illinois
University
• One quote that I truly believe in is this one
said by Vince Lombardi, "Leaders aren't
born, they are made. And they are made
just like anything else, through hard
work. And that's the price we'll have to
pay to achieve that goal, or any goal."
Tony Romo
http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/061101
/061101_romo_hmed_5p.hmedium.jpg
http://www.spotlightautographs.com/TONY%20ROMO3%20small.jpg
Achievements
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Started broadcasting career on radio
in Nashville, Tennessee while still in
high school
At age 19, was youngest person and
first African-American woman to
anchor the news at WTVF-TV in
Nashville
In 1985, received Academy Award
and Golden Globe nominations for her
acting performance in the movie The
Color Purple
Host and supervising producer of the
highest-rated talk show in television
history
Achievements continued
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5 times listed as one of 100 Most
Influential People in the World
by Time magazine
Has given over $40 million to
create an education foundation
and to open a Leadership
Academy for Girls in South Africa
Many more achievements as
well, but too many to list
Education
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Her father required her to read a
book and write a book report
every week
Was an honor student at East
Nashville High School
Senior year of high school, won
an oratory contest which earned
her a scholarship to college
Attended Tennessee State
University
Oprah Winfrey
http://www.seniorcitizen.com/wp-content/uploads
/2007/05/oprah_magazine_o_gabriel_bryne.jpg
http://artfiles.art.com/images/-/Oprah-Winfrey-Photograph-C12150341.jpeg
Achievements
Was rejected twice before finally getting a
job as a “fly girl” dancer on the comedy
show In Living Color in 1990
 Beat 11,000 other competitors in an
audition for a movie role
 Has released 6 studio albums, including
1 all-Spanish album
 Has sold over 35 million albums worldwide

Achievements continued
Has appeared or starred in over 20 movies
and 8 TV series
 Nominated for 2006 ALMA Award as
outstanding female performer
 Has won 2 American Music Awards:
2003- Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist
2007- Favorite Latin Artist
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Education
Attended Catholic school in Bronx,
New York
 Graduated from Preston High School
 Paid for her own dancing and singing
lessons
 Attended Baruch College
 After months of auditioning, she
earned her first dancing roles in
music videos

Jennifer Lopez
http://www.thecelebrityblog.com/wp-content/
uploads/2006/05/Jennifer%20Lopez.jpg
http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0WTefdcR1NIahgBLnijzbkF/SIG=13fh656c3/EXP=1213503708/**http%3A
//www.celebslam.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/jennifer-lopez-latin-grammys-2006-5.jpg
Achievements
Began rapping at age 12
 Won 2 Grammy Awards for Best Rap
Performance, 1989 and 1991
 Became solo artist with first album in 1997
 From 1990-1996 starred in the TV sitcom
“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”
 Starred in 1995 film “Bad Boys” which was
the first film to feature two black lead
actors

Achievements continued
Starred in over a dozen films including
“Independence Day”, “Men in Black”, and
“Ali”
 Has won 28 awards and been nominated
for 49, including 2 Oscar nominations for
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading
Role
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Education
Graduated from Overbrook High School in
Winfield, Pennsylvania where he was
known to his friends as “The Prince”
 Was possibly offered but turned down a
scholarship to MIT( The Massachusetts
Institute of Technology)
 Created a film and television production
company called Overbrook Entertainment
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Quote
 “I
don’t think I am very
talented but I work very
hard. Skill is only developed
by working for hours,
and hours, and hours
at your craft.”
The Today Show 06/23/08
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2001/2459169133_7da220f06c.jpg?v=0
Will Smith
http://www.jossip.com/gossip/Will%20Smith%20-%20Fresh%20Prince%20(large%20rec).jpg
http://myvideostore.com/images/content/people/pics/will_smith.jpg
Achievements
First woman to win a major auto racing event on a
closed circuit
 First woman to lead the Indy 500 (2005)
 Her 4th place finish in 2005 Indy 500 is the best ever
finish for a woman
 Won 2005 Rookie of the Year Awards for the Indy 500
and the IndyCar Series driving for Bobby Rahal and
David Letterman’s team
 Won an Indycar race at Motegi, Japan
in April of 2008
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Education
Attended Hononegah High School in
Rockton, Illinois and later earned her GED
(Equivalent to a diploma)
 At age 16, left home and moved to
England to race in some of the most
difficult junior series in the world
 Finished second in the Formula Ford
Festival in England. She had the highest
finish ever for an American, and highest
ever for a female driver
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Danica Patrick
http://www.dollen.com/images/danica/image
/danica_patrick__raha_19f007.jpg
http://sophiasdraft.phpwebhosting.com/archives/danica_patrick.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1394/533325933_efab7216dc.jpg?v=0
Achievements
• Won a NCAA Football National Championship at
•
•
•
•
the University of Miami in 1991
Played professional football in the Canadian
Football League
Wrestling star who was the youngest
Intercontinental Champion in WWF history
In 2000, hosted Saturday Night Live
Has appeared or starred in 14 movies
Education
• Attended Freedom High School in
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and earned
letters in track and football
• Earned a scholarship to the University of
Miami (Fla.)
• Was the first person in his family to go to
college
• Graduated from the University of Miami
with degrees in criminology and exercise
physiology
Dwayne Johnson (The Rock)
http://domania.us/DollyCali/dwayne_johnson.jpg
http://film.onet.pl/_i/news/duze/d/dwayne_johnson_2.jpg
Achievements
Worked for Saturday Night Live for 3 and
a half years as a writer
 In 1989, he shared an Emmy with the
writing team for Outstanding Writing in a
Comedy or Variety Series
 Was one of the original writers for the TV
show The Simpsons, he wrote for the
show for 2 years
 Has hosted a late night talk show since
1993 and has won 2 Writer’s Guild Awards
for Best Writing in a Comedy/Variety
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Education
Graduated from Brookline High School in
Brookline, Massachusetts
 Was editorial editor for school newspaper
in high school
 Editor for the “Harvard Lampoon” while in
college
 Graduated magna cum laude (high honors)
from Harvard University- Harvard is the #
2 college in America*

http://www.greysanatomyinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/Conan-OBrien.jpg
Conan O’Brien
http://www.vanityfair.com/images/culture/2007/08/cuar01_conan0708.jpg
http://entimg.msn.com/i/150/Movies
/Actors/OBrien_Cona88708115_150.jpg
Achievements
• First player drafted in the 1993 amateur
baseball draft, drafted by Seattle Mariners
• The third youngest shortstop to start a
game in Major Leagues since 1900
• In 1996, made 13 assists on outs in one
game remember there are only 27 outs in a game
• Ended high school with a .417 batting
average and 17 homeruns in 100 games
• Third player ever to hit 40 homeruns and
steal 40 bases in one season
Achievements continued
• Youngest player ever to hit 500 homeruns
• Won 2003 American League Most Valuable
Player Award
• Started 6 All-star games as shortstop for
the American League
• Created a scholarship fund for Boys and
Girls Club of Miami at the University of
Miami, 1 scholarship per year forever
Education
• Graduated from Westminster Christian
High School in Miami in 1993
• Won Gatorade National Student Athlete of
the Year
• While in high school , took extra batting
practice and lifted weights to improve his
baseball
• Offered a scholarship to the University of
Miami but chose playing professional
baseball
• Played most of 1994 in minor leagues
• Played Winter League in Dom. Rep. in ‘94
Alex Rodriguez
http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/topstory/sports/rodriguez_alex0425.jpg
http://www.arthistoryclub.com/art_history/upload/thumb
/e/e1/190px-Alex_Rodriguez,_NYY_uniform,_walking.jpg
Achievements
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Secretary of State for The United
States 2005-2008, National Security
Advisor 2001-2005, was Special
Assistant to the President for
National Security Affairs 1989-1991
Has been appointed as a director for
several corporations, charities, and
foundations
For six years was the Provost of
Stanford University, started as a
professor of political science, won
two of the highest teaching honors
Education
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Graduated from high school in
Denver, Colorado at a young age
Graduated from the University of
Denver in 1974 with honors
Earned master’s degree from the
University of Notre Dame in 1975
Earned her Ph.D(doctorate degree)
from the Graduate School of
International Studies at The
University of Denver in 1981
Has received 7 honorary doctorates
Condoleezza Rice
http://news.indiainfo.com/2007/02/26/images/rice.jpg
http://www.ruggedelegantliving.com/a/images/Condoleezza.Condi.Rice.2005.jpg
Achievements
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Youngest woman (at age 15) ever to play with
the U.S. National Team (1987)
Won 4 NCAA Women’s Soccer Championships
with the University of North Carolina (1989,
1990, 1992, & 1993)
All-American and ACC Player of the Year
(1990, 1992, & 1993) (Sat out 1991 to prepare
for the Women’s World Cup)
Led the nation in scoring at the collegiate level
(1990, 1992, & 1993)
Named U.S. Soccer's Female Athlete of the Year
(1994 -1998)
Achievements continued
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Member of the Gold Medal winning 1996 and
2004 U.S. Olympic Teams
Lead the U.S. to the World Championship at
FIFA Women's World Cup in 1991 and 1999 ,
and Bronze Medals in 1995 and 2003
Became the world's leading goal scorer in
international competition, male or female
Member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team that
was awarded Silver Medal in Sydney
Education
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Was born with a partial clubfoot and wore casts
on her feet when she was a baby to help correct
them.
All-American in high school at Lake Braddock
Secondary School in Burke, VA, she also played
at Notre Dame High School in Wichita Falls,
Texas.
Graduated from The University of North
Carolina with a degree in political science
Mia Hamm
http://img.infoplease.com/images/home/hamm.jpg
http://espn-att.starwave.com/media/classic
/2004/0616/photo/a_hamm_i.jpg
Achievements
• Has earned over 100 awards relating to
her career in music, including:
5 Grammy’s
9 American Music Awards
1 Academy Award (Oscar)
and other various awards such as:
Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, BMI
Awards, World Music Awards, MTV and
VH1 Awards
• Best selling female performer of the
1990’s
Education
• Her mother started teaching her how
to sing at the age of three
• Graduated from Harborfields High
School on Long Island, New York
• Completed 500 hours of beauty
school classes
• Began career singing back-up on
studio recordings for other
performers
Mariah Carey
http://www.chartsinfrance.net/images/actualite/mariah_carey_2.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/Mariah_Carey_2_by_David_Shankbone.jpg/
382px-Mariah_Carey_2_by_David_Shankbone.jpg
Achievements
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In Chicago, he became a community
organizer with a church-based group
seeking to improve living conditions
in poor neighborhoods plagued with
crime and high unemployment.
Served for 8 years as a Senator in
Illinois State Senate
In 2004, he became the third African
American since Reconstruction to be
elected to the U.S. Senate.
Achievements continued
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Won 2201 Democratic delegates in
the 2008 Democratic primaries and
caucuses
Won a Grammy Award in 2006 for
best spoken album for his reading of
"Dreams From My Father" , his 1995
autobiography
Was elected the 44th President of The
United States
Education
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Graduated from Columbia University in
1983 ( Columbia is the 9th best college in
America*)
In 1991, Graduated from Harvard School
of Law( Harvard is the 2nd best law school
in America**)
Became the first African-American
president of the Harvard Law Review
Taught constitutional law at The University
of Chicago Law School
Barack Obama
http://www.barackobama.com/photos/
http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/ELECTION/2008/candidates/images/09/215x280/obama.jpg
Achievements
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Survived while being held prisoner by the
North Vietnamese from 1967 to1973 after
his plane was shot down and had both
legs and arms broken. He was detained in
terrible conditions, never treated for
wounds, & was often tortured and beaten
His naval honors include the Silver Star,
Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart,
and the Distinguished Flying Cross.
1983 to 1987 Congressional
representative for the 13th District of
Arizona
Achievements continued
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Since 1986 has been the Senator
representing Arizona in The U.S.
Senate
Won 1575 Republican delegates in
the 2008 Republican primaries and
caucuses
Nominated as the Republican
representative to run for President of
the United States in 2008
Education
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Attended about 20 schools before
graduating from high school
Graduated from high school in
northern Virginia in 1954
Graduated from U.S. Naval Academy,
Bachelor of Science in 1958
Attended National War College in
1974
John McCain
http://www.johnmccain.com/images/about/picture3.jpg
http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/ELECTION/2008/candidates/images/09/215x280/mccain.jpg
Okay, so what is the
point??
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All of these people are successful
because they work hard and took
school seriously
None of these people were instantly
successful, they all had to get some
background education and training
Middle School (including Sixth
Grade) is part of that training
and education
PLEASE TAKE YOUR EDUCATION
What’s the point??
Continued
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20 out of these 20 very
successful people graduated
from high school or displayed an
equivalent level of knowledge
14 of 20 attended college or
other school after high school, at
least 9* graduated from college,
4 attended post-graduate school
*Michelle Wie is still in college
Education Pays- Look at
these statistics
Statistics and graphs from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics at http://www.bls.gov/emp/edupay.jpg