Child stars are often properly groomed for the limelight – they are taught the rudiments of the celebrity lifestyle and how to navigate the topsy-turvy torrents of mild chaos they are tossed in, on account of their fame. Yet, they hardly seem fully aware of the principles of growing up – from the unfamiliar waters of wealth management to how to react when your fortune comes crashing down in a pile of bankruptcy pleas; nobody usually cares for real-life lessons. Thankfully, it isn’t all sob stories for our favorite acts  – while some celebs take credit for a few bad choices, others put their earnings to good use. Today, whatever the case, they are all grown up and newsworthy. Let’s take a look at some of the child stars that kept on shining, and those that didn’t…

Bonnie Wright – Acting & Filmmaking

Harry Potter fans would easily recognize who Harry’s love interest is – Ginny Weasley, played by British actress Bonnie Wright. But perhaps what is most admirable about the former child actor is her thirst for knowledge and success, as evidenced by her being able to attend college and get a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of the Arts: London College of Communication. And she did it in between filming the Harry Potter movies. We bet that she didn’t need any student loan either, and by the time she had reached legal age, she has begun working on her calling by venturing into screenwriting, directing, and producing.

Jaleel White – Fueling His Legacy

For a man with an acting career that spans nearly his entire life, Jaleel White certainly doesn’t get enough attention. That notwithstanding, his role in the hit series Family Matters is one that is etched in the Hollywood sands of time. Little wonder his attempt to make a full comeback involves immortalizing the character he played in the ‘80s series – and his new CBS comic series Me, Myself and I aims to accomplish just that.  Well, we certainly hope it is worth the investment, and he doesn’t merely try to reprise a long gone character on account of his sentiments – that will surely not do his savings account any good.

Mark-Paul Gosselaar – Slow, But Steady Career

Actor-model Mark-Paul began his acting career back in the mid-’80s by doing small roles in various TV shows and films. But even when he had already started making good money by doing minor roles, it seemed that there was no stopping the then-child actor from reaching greater heights. The role that would catapult him to real stardom and strengthen his acting portfolio was when he played Zack Morris in the TV sitcom, Saved by the Bell. We don’t know what his plans are to further finance his lifestyle these days, because although his acting career has been quite steady, the last time we checked, he got busy until 2016 when he did a TV film and then a movie.