Other traits include voracious reading habits, the refusal to acknowledge gender limitations, and finding mentors. Giftedness has formed the core of Kerr's life and work since she attended a special school for bright children in the early 1960s. She has gone from being educated as a gifted girl to studying and nurturing the talents of today's gifted girls and creative adults. Talent development is her mission. I felt it was important to discover why women in particular did not fulfill their own dreams and goals.
Bright girls receive rewards for intellectual achievements throughout girlhood.
Then the rules change. When they are 12 or 13 years old, social achievements become the most important. Many girls resent that shift. The researchers asked high schools to recommend girls who were getting good grades in math and science but who were at-risk because of alcohol or substance abuse, problem pregnancies, family financial woes, and other crises. Almost every teacher has a girl who she really worries about.