Nicole Scherzinger, the favorite to win this season of Dancing with the Stars and lead singer of The Pussycat Dolls, went to my high school…and I have absolutely no memory of her! She was two years ahead of me, so we must have walked past each other in the hallways or back and forth from the Youth Performing Arts School where I took band classes. But there were 1600 people at my high school, and there’s no way I could be best-est friends with everyone. I was doing pretty well to have any friends, quite frankly.
Recently, I dug out my old yearbooks to see if I could jog any memories of Nicole, and certainly not because I hoped her yearbook photos would be as embarrassing as everyone else’s, proving that even beautiful, famous people were once ugly-duckling nobodies like the rest of us. Sadly, neither hope came to be. Here is Nicole in 1995:
Pretty darn pretty, just like today. And here is me in 1995:
I had way more curly hair than I could possibly handle. Here’s her senior yearbook photo in 1996:
Even in the red drape they made everyone wear to match school colors, she’s still gorgeous. And here’s me in 1996:
This photo was snapped just as I was reaching to take out my retainer. Good one, anonymous photographer dude! Anyway, it’s good to see an alum doing so well professionally. I wish her the best of luck and I hope she wins that mirror ball trophy in the finals!
Sana says
April 14, 2010 at 11:02 amWow! You both are very pretty!
corrin says
April 14, 2010 at 11:24 amAs much as I try to dislike Nicole, I can’t. She seems nice.
Where did you two go to school?
PastaQueen says
April 14, 2010 at 11:30 am@corrin – Well, it’s in her Wikipedia entry, so I guess it’s no secret. We went to Manual high school in Louisville, KY. It was also home of whistle-blower Jeffrey Wigand, who the movie “The Insider” is based on. He was my chem teacher.
kat says
April 14, 2010 at 11:35 amI don’t get it either. I was never a beautiful child, never a lovely adult. Is it that some people just win the genetics card?
Lori says
April 14, 2010 at 12:21 pmThat’s funny!
Leigh says
April 14, 2010 at 12:31 pmHoly crap, I went there! I knew she went there, too, but I didn’t know you went there, either! I was several years behind y’all though, and in CMA with all the rest of the talentless YPAS-wannabes.
PastaQueen says
April 14, 2010 at 12:34 pm@Leigh – Ha! That’s awesome. I was technically a CMA kid too, though I took MST math and YPAS band and some HSU dual-credit classes. Did you have Mr. Good for intro to CMA?
Leigh says
April 14, 2010 at 1:15 pm@PastaQueen – OMG YES! He retired the year after I graduated (’02)–by far one of the best teachers I ever had.
Elizabeth says
April 14, 2010 at 1:16 pmShe’s gorgeous! But I didn’t go to school with her. If I went to school with her, I’d probably hate her… and wish she tripped down the stairs a couple times.
/jealous rant of a mom that couldn’t get away with the outfits this chick wears when she was in highschool much less after having 3 kids.
Kyle says
April 14, 2010 at 1:46 pmWhat a random celebrity to have a connection to. Although I agree with what someone else said, it’s really hard to dislike her. She’s seems…normal. Even though she doesn’t look like a normal high school kid.
Rebecca says
April 14, 2010 at 2:04 pmWow, your high school was huge!
I suppose it is too bad that you don’t have any memories of her but at least that way you don’t know anything negative and gossipy about her either. (Even though that would be kinda cool.)
MB says
April 14, 2010 at 2:58 pmCool.
Ellen Pompeo went to my high school and was a total goofball. It’s so weird to think about these famous people growing up in our hometowns like all us regular folks.
Debbi S. says
April 14, 2010 at 3:23 pmI have some less than stellar school photos that you couldn’t pay me to post on the internet.
I had a hard time finding one NOW for my blog that was actually acceptable!
Carol says
April 14, 2010 at 4:27 pmI went to school with Ewan McGregor. He wasn’t nearly as good looking as his older brother.
Charlie Hills says
April 14, 2010 at 10:42 pmMy high school produced a fair number of famous folks: Ernest Hemingway, Paul Harvey, Dan Castellaneta (best known as the voice of Homer Simpson), Kathy Griffon (of D-list fame), Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (who I saw in The Abyss and I don’t think I’ve seen her since), and my favorite, Ray Kroc (founder of McDonald’s *wink*).
Quix says
April 15, 2010 at 2:23 pmPretty cool! My best claim to fame is that I almost went to high school with Billy Corrigan’s brother, but my parents moved before I got the chance. High school in a castle on a hill? No – I got a flat one story 70’s looking tacky school. Sigh. Oh well!
Courtney says
April 15, 2010 at 8:16 pmYou are so funny. This post is just so funny! I’d wager to say that it’s all good with you that you didn’t end up a pussy cat doll. I’m just sayin’.
JS says
April 16, 2010 at 4:12 amYou really do have a uncanny resemblance to Brandon Frazier! Prettier of course. ;)
I didn’t go to high school with any famous people. Maybe in the future though?
kat says
April 16, 2010 at 9:47 amYou look soooo young! Just know that at all of your reunions, you will retain that youthful appearance while everyone else ages less gracefully.
kamygrey says
April 18, 2010 at 4:42 pm@MB – how was Ellen POMPEO then? Thank you for sharing :)
Marian says
April 27, 2010 at 3:14 pmJeez, I went to Manual too! Also IU! Who are you and why are you stalking me? I kid, I kid. I’m also waaaay older than you :-(
Carol, I demand that you post photos of that brother!!!