This is a study of high achieving students using information about gifted students that can apply to and benefit all students. This article places focus on the highly motivated student that is intrinsically motivated, persistently works hard, and achieves top grades, but may not qualify as "gifted". For example, Jonathan has an average IQ as a second grade student. However, he possesses the interest and aptitude necessary to participate in fifth grade reading. Susan, a sixth grade student, has a voracious appetite for reading and excels in mathematics. She has met all of the requirements for grade-level math and shows the willingness and ability to learn more, but her school's curriculum does not offer advanced opportunities in the subject, such as pre-algebra. This article suggests that programs targeting students at extreme top and bottom levels displace a much greater need: the assurance that students are motivated to accelerate in areas of individual interest and aptitude.