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There's no doubt that Buddy Valastro is one of the most knowledgeable men in the world when it comes to baking and cake decorating, but when it comes to formal education, he's actually a high school dropout.
He explained his decision to The Seattle Times in 2010, sharing he started working at the bakery alongside his dad when he was around 11 years old by cleaning bowls. When a 17-year-old Buddy's dad died, he left high school in his junior year "and went to work full time." Buddy admitted he "had to prove [himself] over and over" and revealed he considers himself to be "self-taught in a lot of ways." "I wasn't a bad student ... I was a B student who never tried. I got mostly B's and an occasional C," he shared.
But dropping out of high school wasn't the plan Buddy's dad, Bartolo Buddy Valastro, had for his son, as he wanted him to go to college (via Guideposts). Three weeks before Bartolo died, Buddy told him while standing beside his hospital bed, "I'm gonna work full-time at the bakery. I'm going to make Carlo's a household name, like you always dreamed, I promise. I'm going to make you proud, Dad. Just get better." His dad wasn't convinced, telling him through tears, "Buddy, I want you to graduate." Buddy replied, "No, I want to run the bakery. We have to keep it going," and dropped out of school that very day.
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