@inthegarden And I had mentioned atypical for my cousin who was in the Peace Corps for years. He actually has a doctorate from Harvard. The Peace Corps decided to take him even though he was not perfection. I saw growth in this kid. From excelling at math that he refused to take earlier. To tutoring other students. To deciding a standard education was what he wanted. This kid might become a brilliant environment scientist. He may find his groove at college. Choosing a path to the Peace Corps would be years away. And again, he personal mission was to improve the world. I think it’s a bit much to shut down avenues of kids we’ve never ever met. Even his own mom had thought of the Peace Corps. Maybe she knows him better. Even though he has decided against it.
Edit: This was posted after your comment. But he’ll be a different person in ten years. Seems too early to shut him down if that was what he wanted. And it seems wrong to assume that he doesn’t have practical skills. The kid sounded downright savvy and thoughtful to me. Utilizing libraries rather than buying unnecessary books to help his family. Maybe he’s had more practical skills and savvy than all of us.