Respect?

I got a linkedin request from an old college mate of mine. I try to avoid him and he is always behind me in all the social network websites. I do maintain a cordial relationship with him but I have an undercurrent of a contempt for him. He used to be a big snob in those days. He was kind of class topper and used to run around with certain airs about him. Overtime our paths crossed a couple of times but after school he turned out to be a mediocre personality and eventually into a smuck. I try to avoid him but he keeps on reappearing in my life.

This got me thinking about the contempt for him and slowly I was blinded by the memories of my childhood where most of my teachers used to treat me as a second rate citizen of the class. Academically my perfomance may be classified as second class citizen but my question is whether a child sholuld be treated such a due to the lack of display of academic prowess? Is the definition of academics set in stone? We were always raised to respect the meritorious lot of the class but my parents really pushed the envelope there. They used to idolize all these topper kids in class which almost led me to beleive in a self degrading and self demoralizing prophecy. Somehow deep in my heart I always beleived I was a special individual and never used to let these metrics affect me. I developd a strong will power and selfbeleif to catapult myself ahead whenver I was in the midst of these circumstances of academic mediocrity. This helped me carry on so far in my life and I am confident that this will take me further ahead in life no matter what.

How should current generation children be prevented from going through the same trauma? I beleive in rewarding the merit but that should not end in degradation of those who could not display the same. This leaves one in a paradox of merit and respect.