Kim Ng
Posted on December 30, 2006 Posted by John Scalzi 5 Comments
Check this out: a Newsweek story on Kim Ng, with the subhead: “She knows her baseball and is in line to become the sport’s first female GM.” Right on. She and I lived in the same dormitory at the University of Chicago — at the same time, even. It’s always exciting when people you know get write-ups in a major news magazine. For something positive, anyway.
I think it’s time for a Six Degrees of Scalzi database game.
That’s cool. Yeah, a woman GM!
I hope you don’t mind me hijacking your post to ask a question. I’ve noticed that you are acquainanced with quite a few very successful people via connections/alumns through either the Webb school or the University of Chicago. So my question is this: How much does going to a prestigious high school or college matter as far as success, do you think? Granting that you get decent grades anywhere you go, how much of an extra push do you get by going to a high profile school? Anyone?
I am a state school grad who barely had the finances available to do that, and I have two kids that will eventually (I hope) go to college. Right now, I can help them through state school (and even better if they live at home) but unless things dramatically change, any high school prep academies or ivy leaging would have to come from scholarships, etc. I know you went to Webb via scholarship. How much of a difference do you think that made in your life vs. going to your regular public highschool?
Just thoughts on the brain lately.
Lisa:
I think a lot of it depends on the individual and how good they are at networking.
To offer a counter example:
I came from a working-class or maybe lower-middle class family and attended Wesleyan University (Little Ivy League) on scholarship (came out much better financially than either of my brothers, who went to much less expensive schools, but didn’t score National Merit scholarships). Many of my classmates are very successful and important people.
But I’m much too geeky and too much of a hermit to be any good at networking, plus I moved away from the East Coast, so college contacts have never been important in my career.
I suppose it might have helped if I ever remembered anyone’s name…
Hey, cool — thanks for pointing that article out. I remember Kim from college, too, and I knew she used to work for the Yankees. Great to see that she’s still successful. It’ll be exciting to see if she can become a GM.
That’s so great; I’m rooting for her. Represent for The Sisterhood! (cuz, yes, girls like sports, too.)