Don't you just hate when you hear about someone doing ridiculously impressive things, and then you meet her and not only is she accomplished but she's also charming and fun and has it all together, and then you find out that she's your age? Doesn't it make you feel kind of like a pathetic waste of space?

Yeah, us too. And that's how we felt putting together this issue. (You'll notice we didn't select any hot student journalists—just too close to home.)

For Vanguard 2008, we pulled together a daunting bunch of up-and-comers in nine fields, but the truth is there are hundreds more of these rising stars out there. You might share a bathroom with one: the next e.e. cummings or Will Ferrell; our future president or the person who's gonna cure cancer.

We know we only scratched the surface with this year's Vanguard, so tell us about who we're missing, and your nominee could be feature in our online Vanguard. But for now, just read through our picks and try not to feel too inferior.

 
Pop Starlet: Kate Voegele

Diplomat: Johnny Lin

Actress: Shareeka Epps

Filmmaker: David D. Burstein

Inventor: Maria Luckyanova

Tycoon: Kamran Munshi

Athlete: Alicia Sacramone

Peacemaker: Stephanie Nyombayire

Scientist: Max Schroeder
 

Three years ago we picked 15 college students for our first College Vanguard issue, and warned you that these young all-stars were people to watch in the coming years. But in case you lost track of them, here’s an update on what a few of these elite up-and-comers have been up to since Current deemed them Vanguard-worthy.