As a kid it was always obvious I was going to be a scientist, and a biologist. When I was in middle school I talked to my parents about what classes to take. In particular, I kinda wanted to take shop, but I knew I should take advanced biology. My parents comment: You know what you are going to do for the rest of your life. Take the other thing. Take shop. I did, I loved it, and guess what, when I went to graduate school, some 10 years later I made all of the equipment I used in my research. That shop class ended up being one of the most valuable classes I took in middle school. I also became life long friends with the shop teacher, so that was a secondary benefit. I was really upset when they got rid of their industrial arts program.