Vocation and Gifting

I've been thinking a lot lately about vocation and avocation, about the ways that we perceive and respond to senses of call.  I came across an interesting link from Money magazine on Facebook that analyzed the career trajectories of valedictorians.  Ninety-five percent of valedictorians go on to graduate from college, and 60 percent pursue graduate degrees... but while they typically go on to top-tier professional positions, they tend not to be visionaries, creative thinkers, or innovators.  The video-article pointed toward a number of factors, including the educational system's tendency to reward conformity and obedience, but I found one factor especially interesting: valedictorians are extremely well-rounded students, but their pursuit of excellence in such a wide variety of disciplines prevents them from leaning into their own particular passions. 

What does it mean for our lives -- our possibilities, opportunities, and above all our capacity to live into the gifts God has given us -- when we privilege comprehensive success over the pursuit of our own special gifts?  What does it mean for society if, instead of developing unique talents, we prioritize broad-scale achievement?  Is it possible to create a society where all have the opportunity to actually live into their gifts?  Is broad-scale academic aptitude in itself one sort of gifting, or does it represent a leveling out of what could be truly remarkable talents?

I have answers to precisely none of these questions, but I'm finding them intriguing grounds for reflection.  They seem integral to decisions we make as individuals, parents, churches, and citizens in community.  (Full disclosure: I'm a co-valedictorian with graduate degrees [but not a top-tier professional position] who is currently in vocational transition... which gives me more than a purely academic interest in these questions.)  I welcome others' thoughts!