Despite being a millionaire multiple times over, it turns out Buddy Valastro never actually graduated high school. Buddy left school at 17 after his dad, Bartolo Valastro Sr., was diagnosed with cancer, with Buddy promising his dad he'd take care of the family business. Buddy explained to The Seattle Times in 2010, "I wasn't a bad student, or a misfit. I was a B student who never tried. I got mostly B's and an occasional C," revealing he initially started working at Carlo's Bakery at 11 years old. Buddy worked alongside his dad while attending school and was a pot washer when his career first began. "Dad wanted me to start at the bottom... I did every job in the bakery... If I didn't do it that way, I wouldn't be who I am today," he said.
Buddy's father actually wanted him to go to college and wasn't too keen on him taking over at the bakery, but that deter the youngster from following his dream to make the company a success. Buddy recalled the emotional moment he told his dad the day of his cancer diagnosis that he was going to work in the bakery full-time, which is when his dad told him he wanted him to graduate first. That didn't stop Buddy, though. "That afternoon Mama drove me to school and we filled out the paperwork for me to officially leave high school," Buddy told Guideposts. "Three weeks later Dad died."
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