matters worse, Steve became the target of bullies. He was so
miserable at the school that upon completing sixth grade, he
threatened to drop out of school if he had to go back there. He
was so determined that his parents moved the family to Los Altos,
another town in the Silicon Valley, just so Steve could go to a dif-
ferent school. “At eleven years old,” authors Jeffrey S. Young and
William L. Simon observe, “Steve was already able to demonstrate
enough strength of will to convince his parents to resettle. His
trademark intensity, the single-mindedness that he could apply
to remove any obstacle in his path, was already evident.” 12
The move was good for Steve in many ways. His new school
offered advanced classes, so he was intellectually challenged. And,
although he did not fit in with any group, he was not harassed
there. His parents tried to help him make friends by enrolling
Steve and his friend Bill Hernandez worked with other
electronic hobbyists in garage workshops.
A Difficult Start
19