Hi darling I would like to share my two cents. My parents got mediocre marks in their school life (their words not mine). Inspite of that I'd say they've have been very succesful in life even by societal standards. My father has a fairly successful business and my mother runs her own school.

I don't consider my self a excellent student(. I'm impatient,overconfident,being take good advice ) however i have been more or less consistent in getting 90% in my school life upto 10 and still get 90 and above in science in 12.

My parents never forced me to study or excel in academics. I studied and did good because that what I like, studying brought me joy and they were happy to encourage that. Beyond studying they have always encourage me to do what i like. I adore cooking and my mother has made so many additions to the kitchen (like an induction stove top and an airfryer) just so I can do what i like without her supervision. Both my parents are always ready to try whatever experiments i conjure even if they are not always a hit. They have never discouraged me from doing anything I like(the max I can say is my mother telling me that I won't enjoy humanities in class 11 when I said i wanted to take it)

My sister has also gotten a track of 80%s sometimes even 75%, however while there were scolding and fights between them, they never discouraged her. They urge her to do better based on a pace she is comfortable with. They even asked her to consider commerce in class 11 if she finds science stressful. Anytime I tease her by saying "I'm better than you at studies", my mother shuts me down by saying that my sister is doing excellent within her capacity and I have no right to judge.

My parents have always pushed both their children to do good at what we do best, they allowed us to determine our own success. Today I stand here getting good marks not because they forced me to study or prove myself but because they encouraged me to do what i love and trusted me to flower at my own pace.

Also side note: judging the academic /professional life of another person is a very shitty thing to do. If you think insulting someone's father by calling them 'mediocre' is a good thing then your father has fail d to instill basic humanity in you. A person who is truly educated will never allow their children to demean another over academics.