> where I did my PhD in France almost all fellow PhD students in my group had parents that were high-ranking scientists
You'll see this across all professional areas in the world. Medical students overindex on parents being doctors, law students on parents being lawyers. Heck, even young 10-year-old motorcycle racers at your local mini moto track almost all have a Dad back in the pit who is wrenching on their bikes and who comes from a moto background. It's literally everywhere you look.
The reality is that most of us can be successful in several different professional paths, and that we'll often choose the path that we're most familiar with from our upbringing.
On that note, whenever I meet someone who successfully broke their "family mold," I appreciate their success that much more.
You'll see this across all professional areas in the world. Medical students overindex on parents being doctors, law students on parents being lawyers. Heck, even young 10-year-old motorcycle racers at your local mini moto track almost all have a Dad back in the pit who is wrenching on their bikes and who comes from a moto background. It's literally everywhere you look.
The reality is that most of us can be successful in several different professional paths, and that we'll often choose the path that we're most familiar with from our upbringing.
On that note, whenever I meet someone who successfully broke their "family mold," I appreciate their success that much more.