‘You are not university material’: Student gets back at guidance counselor who told her she wasn’t smart enough to get into college

Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor

Feb 3, 2024 8:00 AM EST

It should come as no surprise that the comments teachers make can haunt you forever. Sure, there are the words of encouragement that can empower you to pursue a particular path, but there are also the subtle and sometimes not-so-subtle insults that can damage someone's self-esteem. The only positive outcome that can arise from dealing with these unfortunate comments is if they become a motivator for you as you continue to do what you want and be who you are despite what a silly authority figure said.

This thread, which was posted to Reddit's r/pettyrevenge subreddit, provides proof that not only can you endure in these situations, but you might even be able to get even with that authority figure down the road. Here, we have a student who was discouraged from applying to college and pursuing psychology by her own guidance counselor. Despite the emotional damage this caused the student for several years, she eventually persisted and wound up teaching psychology like she always wanted. Keep scrolling below to learn about her eventual run-in with that same guidance counselor years later.

For more tales of petty revenge, here is a story about a group of women who got back at a mooching boyfriend.