Matt Higgins

And I remember talking to Mr. I kept getting picked up by the Truant police. Now this is ninth grade. And I would hang out at McDonald's. I would watch CNN, you know, the war in the Gulf at the time. Like I was just doing my thing, buying time. And he was like, what's wrong with you? You're such a smart kid. What are you doing? I was like, no, I have a plan.

And I remember talking to Mr. I kept getting picked up by the Truant police. Now this is ninth grade. And I would hang out at McDonald's. I would watch CNN, you know, the war in the Gulf at the time. Like I was just doing my thing, buying time. And he was like, what's wrong with you? You're such a smart kid. What are you doing? I was like, no, I have a plan.

I'm going to take my GED and I'm going to go to college at 16. I'm going to bypass this. I'm going to make a lot of money. And of course, he was like, you're going to have a terrible stigma for the rest of your life. This is before Mark Zuckerberg made dropping out of things cool and Silicon Valley bros, you know, able to walk away like back then you would get beaten up for being a loser.

I'm going to take my GED and I'm going to go to college at 16. I'm going to bypass this. I'm going to make a lot of money. And of course, he was like, you're going to have a terrible stigma for the rest of your life. This is before Mark Zuckerberg made dropping out of things cool and Silicon Valley bros, you know, able to walk away like back then you would get beaten up for being a loser.

So I burned the boats moment for which I wrote the book and stole the metaphor from Cortez and others was that it wasn't that I dropped out of high school. It was that I gave myself no other choice but to go through with dropping out of high school. I didn't have the confidence to resist guidance counselors, police, and everybody else, unless I had no other choice.

So I burned the boats moment for which I wrote the book and stole the metaphor from Cortez and others was that it wasn't that I dropped out of high school. It was that I gave myself no other choice but to go through with dropping out of high school. I didn't have the confidence to resist guidance counselors, police, and everybody else, unless I had no other choice.

And it would be tantalizing to turn around if I hadn't become such a castaway. And so my burn the votes moment was to fail every single class in high school. I've told this story before, it's true, except for typing, because typing seemed useful. And then I got left back over and over.

And it would be tantalizing to turn around if I hadn't become such a castaway. And so my burn the votes moment was to fail every single class in high school. I've told this story before, it's true, except for typing, because typing seemed useful. And then I got left back over and over.

And when you get left back, back at Cardoza High School, and I still remember the sweet teacher, Mrs. Vega, who was always so empathetic and understood what I was doing implicitly. I would sit in the back of the room, put my head down the desk, and I would just go to sleep, you know? And around me were the drug dealers, were the beepers, and there were some kids who were pregnant.

And when you get left back, back at Cardoza High School, and I still remember the sweet teacher, Mrs. Vega, who was always so empathetic and understood what I was doing implicitly. I would sit in the back of the room, put my head down the desk, and I would just go to sleep, you know? And around me were the drug dealers, were the beepers, and there were some kids who were pregnant.

And I put myself in that cohort. And then not only that, I started wearing a jacket and I let all the gang kids tag it. So I had tags all over my jacket. I was completely a manifestation of a kid that should be discarded. And that's how the system, they stopped treating me as trying to make me a base case, but actually treated me like an outcast and was waiting for the moment that I would drop out.

And I put myself in that cohort. And then not only that, I started wearing a jacket and I let all the gang kids tag it. So I had tags all over my jacket. I was completely a manifestation of a kid that should be discarded. And that's how the system, they stopped treating me as trying to make me a base case, but actually treated me like an outcast and was waiting for the moment that I would drop out.

Now, that's a lot to take on. And then when the moment came that I actually had to drop out of high school, anyone listening, when you make a bold decision that you're like, what system am I operating on? It feels like a lot of adrenaline and momentum. When you drop out of school, you have to return your textbooks. I have no idea why I complied with this rule, but none other.

Now, that's a lot to take on. And then when the moment came that I actually had to drop out of high school, anyone listening, when you make a bold decision that you're like, what system am I operating on? It feels like a lot of adrenaline and momentum. When you drop out of school, you have to return your textbooks. I have no idea why I complied with this rule, but none other.

This is also true, I feel a little bit bad if he's out there somewhere hearing these interviews, but I went to my second class to see Mr. Rosenthal and I go to give him the textbook and the textbook is unopened and I'm like a little punk and he was like, what's this? It's my textbook, it's my last day of high school, I dropped out. He doesn't miss a beat and he said, Higgins, what a waste.

This is also true, I feel a little bit bad if he's out there somewhere hearing these interviews, but I went to my second class to see Mr. Rosenthal and I go to give him the textbook and the textbook is unopened and I'm like a little punk and he was like, what's this? It's my textbook, it's my last day of high school, I dropped out. He doesn't miss a beat and he said, Higgins, what a waste.

And he had a biting sense of humor, so I guess it was funny. The class starts cracking up, and I almost want to pass out. I'm so humiliated. And as I'm about to walk out, he says, Higgins, what a waste. I'll see you at McDonald's.

And he had a biting sense of humor, so I guess it was funny. The class starts cracking up, and I almost want to pass out. I'm so humiliated. And as I'm about to walk out, he says, Higgins, what a waste. I'll see you at McDonald's.

And I had worked at McDonald's, and the kids would make fun of me because I used to scrape the gum underneath the tables, my little green uniform, and stick Chicken McNuggets stuffed in my pocket for the break and make rib sandwiches. And then as I walked out, I said, if you see me at McDonald's, it's because I own it. And everyone was like, oh.

And I had worked at McDonald's, and the kids would make fun of me because I used to scrape the gum underneath the tables, my little green uniform, and stick Chicken McNuggets stuffed in my pocket for the break and make rib sandwiches. And then as I walked out, I said, if you see me at McDonald's, it's because I own it. And everyone was like, oh.