‘I finished my Masters… I'm doing what I originally wanted’: Student becomes wildly successful and scores their dream job, getting payback against a discouraging guidance counsellor who said they're not ‘university material’

Author image for Jesse Kessenheimer
Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Sep 3, 2023 1:00 PM EDT

My mom always told me that the best revenge in life is becoming successful. If a bully is putting you down or if you're feeling like you're in the dumps, perseverance and downright refusal to fail can sometimes be the fuel you need to hurl yourself towards your hopeful accomplishments. In this story, a high school student who was laughed at by their guidance counsellor got the ultimate humble revenge by using doing exactly what they were told was impossible: College.

Imagine a guidance counsellor that straight up laughs in a kids face when they share their hopes and dreams. It seems a little counterintuitive doesn't it? The point of a high school guidance counsellor is to help the kids achieve their goals, not to scoff at them and deter them away from their dream jobs. In our story today, OP recalls the tale their high school counsellor who did the unthinkable. After chuckling at OP's dream job, the guidance counsellor simply said, 'Don't apply to university. You're not university material'. OOF.

Naturally, OP was devastated, but used this disgruntled feeling of being belittled as fuel in their later years to go after their dream job– despite what the counsellor said. Scroll for the full tale of how a high school kid stuck it to the discouraging counsellor by becoming a raving success and how they turned the tables on them after meeting face-to-face. For more stories of folks sticking-it-to-the-man, check out this tale of a Karen who makes a pregnant lady cry at the grocery store, only to be taught a lesson by heroic onlookers. 

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  • 01
    Font - r/pettyrevenge. Posted by u/Pineapple8900 5 hours ago My guidance counsellor told me I wasn't "university material", and years later I pretended not to know her.
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  • 02
    Font - I know it doesn't sound much like revenge, but it was oh so sweet, let me tell you. Back in high school, I struggled hard. I had a step-dad who adopted me and then ignored me my whole life, and a mom who was wrapped up in making his life perfect. Yeah he was what
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  • 03
    Font - some might call a textbook narcissist, with my mom as his "flying monkey" (wizard of oz reference). Anyway, school was a difficult time for me, and I had a lot of anxiety and a hard time focusing.
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  • 04
    Font - I attended all my classes, and was always doing very well on my assignments, but had trouble completing them. My guidance counsellor was the same all through high school, and every year would start with a meeting with her, and I would
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  • 05
    Font - explain I needed more help, because I was struggling to focus. She brushed me off every time, stating that I obviously wasn't trying hard enough because I had no excuse, since my step-dad (adopted dad) was...
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  • 06
    Font - wait for it...a social worker for the school board and personal friend of hers. Yeah it was awful. At the end of high school we had our obligatory meeting about what colleges/universities or trades schools to apply to. I told
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  • 07
    Font - her I was interested in psychology and would like to be a counsellor or to teach psychology. This woman scoffed. Literally scoffed at me. She said, and I
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  • 08
    Font - quote "please do not apply to university. It would be a huge disappointment for you. You are not university material, and you may be better with a community college or even certificate in administration".
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  • 09
    Font - Now let me say THERE IS NOTHING WRONG with going to community college or getting a certificate in something. Nothing at all. But this woman's words would haunt me my whole life. I
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  • 10
    Font - wanted to pursue something I was very interested in, and she essentially told me I wasn't smart enough or capable enough to do it. Fast forward to my late 20s. I worked at a variety of small jobs
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  • 11
    Organism - here and there and became very depressed. I finally decided one day that fick it - I'm applying for university. Well I got in and I graduated with honors. So I went to teachers
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  • 12
    Font - college for another bachelor degree. Again, graduated with honors. And about 5 years ago, I finally finished my Masters in behavioral psychology. Two years ago step-dad died, and who is at the visitation? My old guidance counsellor.
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    Font - She came right over and started talking to me immediately like she knew me, like we're old friends. I cut her off and said "I'm so sorry, you must be confusing me with someone else". She looked absolutely
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  • 14
    Font - shocked and said "I was your guidance counsellor! For 4 years." And I just shook my head and gave the best blank look I could give, shrugged and said "sorry, I honestly don't remember you". When I left she
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  • 15
    Font - looked a bit confused and disappointed. I think she had hoped for me to have all of these good memories of her, how helpful she was to me as a teen. But nope. I wanted her to feel that she was nothing to me. Had zero effect (even though she did affect me, I wasn't letting her know that).
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    Font - I felt pretty good about that. EDIT: To anyone wondering, I now teach psychology to future counsellors! So I'm doing what I originally wanted, and that made this so much sweeter.
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    Font - 2nd EDIT: my mom had run into her a few times at the grocery store before this, and has bragged about my accomplishments, so I didn't have to tell her about them, she knew I was successful. Since she already knew, I pretended she was nobody to me, to ensure she understood she contributed nothing.
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  • 18
    Font - Also those who say she helped me in the end and she was right. No. I asked her to help me for 4 years and got nothing. She laughed at my dreams and goals. She did not do her job. She failed as a guidance counsellor and, frankly, also as a decent human being.
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    Product - VerimTamunSalsus 5 hr. ago Evil genius. Playing the long game. ✩ 2.1k >< Reply Share Pineapple8900 OP 5 hr. ago It was extremely satisfying lol
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    Font - Business-Emu-6923 3 hr. ago I find that people who bully others, or put them down for no reason, secretly want to be seen as significant or important in some way.
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  • 21
    Rectangle - Pineapple8900 OP 3 hr. ago You hit the nail on the head here. I was removing her power.
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