Four years later, we checked in with the Class of 2021 to hear how their college experiences have unfolded, what they’ve learned along the way, and where their journeys are taking them next. We heard back from six alumni and unsurprisingly, each of their paths has been as unique as they are.  

Their fields of study span Neuroscience, Education, Computer Science, Psychology, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, and Philosophy. Half pursued double majors. Many shared their favorite classes within their areas of study, such as Black Pedagogies in the Americas; Sleep, Learning, & Memory; Marine Engineering; Quantum Field Theory 2; and Abstract Algebra. One alumnus described their “most fun class period ever” in an interdisciplinary course on historical pandemics, where “we hotly debated whether the severity of the 1918 Spanish Flu should be attributed more to biological or historical factors.” Others highlighted general education that stretched their thinking, including an extensive humanities colloquium and an exploratory art history course.  

While at their universities, these scholars also took advantage of remarkable opportunities. One managed a stage production of The Winter’s Tale in collaboration with a university in South Korea. Another completed a concurrent master’s degree alongside their bachelor’s degree. One Scholar served aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter POLAR STAR, the nation’s only heavy ice breaker, and earned the Coast Guard Auxiliary Medal of Operational Merit (the highest award available) for his work successfully incorporating and writing standard operating procedures for integrating ice information into the ship’s information systems. Another completed their degree in just 2.5 years and received an MIT Outstanding UROP (Undergraduate Research) Award, a Hertz Fellowship, the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship, and the NSF GRFP. 

Today, members of the Class of 2021 are continuing their journeys in diverse ways, as a life science teacher in a Massachusetts public school, a software engineer, an officer in the U.S. Navy, a Computer Science Ph.D. student researching AI at Stanford, and one taking a gap year to focus on academic, creative, and spiritual pursuits, including completing a Russian language program.  

Each alumnus shared that the CDB Scholars Program was foundational to their college and career paths. As one reflected:  

“Thinking back to my experiences in college and high school, if I trace back many of my major decisions as a student, I inevitably return to CDB and how the program’s mentors gave me the impetus to spread my wings and approach my academic exploration boldly. I am so grateful and proud to be a CDB scholar and alumna, and to be connected to the community today.” 

Our wise alumni also offered advice for current CDB Scholars: 

• “Genuine excitement is not worth hiding—find people who appreciate that you love the world and want to understand it.” 
• “Embrace every opportunity to learn and to be open to new academic and extracurricular experiences.” 
• “If you know what field you want to go into, that’s great! However, if you don’t, that’s normal! It’s totally okay to switch your major, career goals, interests, etc. even if it’s a complete 180. College is also a time of exploration, so take those classes you are curious about and even those you think you might not like.” 
• “The job market right now is really bad for recent college graduates, especially with the onset of AI replacing many jobs. It is critical right now to have a plan in action before starting college in order to secure a job before you graduate college.” 
• “Don’t be afraid to push yourself and take courses without prerequisites.” 
• “Don’t let schooling interfere with your education.” 

Thank you to the CDB Class of 2021 Alumni Dante Holmes, Esther An, Owen Dugan, and others for sharing your stories and your continued support of IEA’s CDB Scholarship Program. We look forward to hearing more about your journeys as you continue to thrive.  

Like many other gifted individuals, my greatest challenge was figuring out what my professional direction was going to be. The next greatest challenge was to determine what kind of post graduate education I would pursue. Gifted individuals are likely to be multipotential, meaning they can be successful in numerous areas due to having multiple interests and strengths (Rinn & Bishop, 2015). I had a strong foundation in STEM, and I was attracted to English and even anthropology. In the end I elected to study law, which at the time seemed like a somewhat arbitrary choice, though it did have the potential to combine many disciplines. At least that was the theory, but I wondered how it would actually work out in practice.

A 2006 study conducted by Siekanska and Sekowski in Poland examined the job satisfaction of gifted versus non-gifted adults aged 26 to 35 (2006). They found that gifted adults were more likely to be satisfied with their job than their non-gifted peers though they are more likely to struggle when their work environment is intolerant of their needs (Nauta and Corten, 2002). The researchers noted that there were key factors that led to such satisfaction and, though they are similar to general career advice, there were some notable differences.

Factors, such as finding a job that connects with core interests, work that is a source of pleasure, and having a supportive team atmosphere, are crucial to anyone’s career choice. For gifted individuals, career satisfaction means extra consideration to finding a career where they can take advantage of their special skills and predispositions (Siekanska and Sekowski, 2006). Gifted individuals are more likely to have highly focused interests while completely ignoring other matters, they may exhibit black and white thinking, and may employ what appears to be circuitous reasoning even though they arrive at the same conclusions (Daniels & Piechowski, 2009). They thrive when given the space to utilize these modes of thinking, where they are able to utilize their creative thinking and be “independent in their thinking” (Siekanska and Sekowski, 2006).

As my first semester draws to a close I have never been more confident that I made the right career choice. The moment this awareness came together remains illusive, but things have unquestionably clicked. Sure, the weight of half-day exams rests heavily on my shoulders and switching from MLA to IRAC is challenging, but wherever I turn I find that I love what I am pursuing. The core characteristics of law, research, writing, creative argumentation, and facilitating the work of a team while being able to work solo, directly reflect my core predispositions.

None of this would have been possible if I hadn’t been allowed to explore the many options I encountered and encouraged to self-reflect on my strengths. The average person changes careers five to seven times in their life so it is never too late to reflect on your choices and redirect your life (US Department of Labor).

• Daniels, S., & Piechowski, M. M. (2009). Living with intensity: Emotional development of gifted children, adolescents, and adults. Great Potential Press.
• Nauta, N., & Corten, F. (2002). Gifted adults in work. (K. Jamdagni, Trans.). Tijdschrift voor Bedrijfs- en Verzekeringsgeneeskunde [Journal for Occupational and Insurance Physicians], 10, 332-335.
• Rinn, A. N., & Bishop, J. (2015). Gifted adults. Gifted Child Quarterly, 59(4), 213–235.
• Siekańska, M., & Sękowski, A. (2006). Job satisfaction and temperament structure of gifted people. High Ability Studies, 17, 75-85.