Hart shares the story of a high school student who was unmotivated by traditional academic work and on a downward trajectory--until he enrolled in a program that allowed him to take vocationally oriented classes at a community college while in high school. Content that was relevant and meaningful to him (EMT and firefighter training) led Max to finally apply himself and succeed. Hart discusses how teachers can help capable-but-nontraditional students find their unique paths toward motivation and success--mainly by finding and emphasizing their strengths and passions early on.