Why Grant Knew Better Than Mom

Mom and Grandma Thought He Should Be an Accountant

GRANT – High School Sophomore

Situation:

Grant is a sophomore in high school trying to figure out what classes to take that will prepare

him for a career. Mom and Grandma were gunning for more accounting and math classes.

Discussion:

Grant took an aptitude-based career assessment and several of the careers had to do with

cinematography and theater. He had never explored this type of activity before.

Ah ha! Moment:

An important thing to know about Grant is he is fairly quiet and does not show a lot of emotion.

When he shared his report, his coach noticed a big grin on his face and a little sparkle in his

eyes when he talked about these careers.

Action Items:

Grant interviewed a professional in the field of Cinematography and he knew this area was

right for him. If not cinema, theater or some other career in the arts was in his future.

When he and his mom traveled to New York, they saw three plays together and Grant saw

three more on his own. This was a true sign to his mom that Grant was on the right career path.

Result:

Grant went on to star in his high school play of ‘Death of a Salesman’ and created the video

trailer for the production. He is set to attend Oklahoma City University to study theater.

A Glimpse into Grant’s CliftonStrengths:

Intellection®: People who are especially talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their

intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.

For Grant, his intellection will help him ask good questions and be able to dive deep into

developing his characters, He will understand why they do the things they do.

Input®: People who are especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they

like to collect and archive all kinds of information.

Grants love of research can help him find inspiration for stories, but also be able to find great

references when developing scripts and videos. He will also be able to use this talent to find

new and better ways to shoot film, build props and share his new ideas with a team.

When things go wrong:

Any time you talk about the arts, you also have to think about what you can make in those

careers.

Grants path has not played out yet and it is important to note that everyone has their

thresholds of happiness when it comes to money. As Grant learns more about cinema and

theater, he can make decisions on the right path for him based on facts. Including those

decisions that involve compensation. As he finds new opportunities, he can adjust his plan as

he sees fit, now and throughout his career.

Parents Takeaway:

Grant’s mom and grandma can see now that being an accountant was not the right path for

him. It was not obvious to them until they saw ‘Happy Grant’.

When Grant thought about being on stage or behind a camera, he got excited! Keep an eye out

for those times your child gets a shine in their eyes and keeps going even when they have to

do it alone.

See, you can do something you love!

Grant participated in Pick the RIGHT Major, a group class that helps students determine a

career path and the right major or another educational path to support their goal.