HSD, GED, and a career in paleontology/biology

[tiredeyes]

So I want a career in vertebrate paleontology and/or biology, but I have some issues that I fear will prevent me from achieving my dream.

I guess I'll come out and say it: I got kicked out of high school for missing too much time. It's not as though my grades suffered -- I breezed through Biology II AP -- but I just had trouble coming to school. I don't want to get into too much, but I tried explaining my problems to the vice principal and guidance councilor, but they completely dismissed my concerns. The guidance councilor especially was a disappointment, as she refused to help me focus on a career, talking down to me and saying stuff like "don't worry about that" and "it doesn't matter."

Well, I guess I went through a depression after all that and I spent a few years wallowing in the disappointment of myself, as I had sincerely wanted and tried to attend school, but as I said, I had issues with it. Now I'm trying to put my life back together as it were, but I worry that this huge failure of mine is going to haunt me. For example, I'm currently studying for my GED, but I don't know how I'll ever get into a good college with that. I worry too that employers will look negatively on having a GED and not a HSD. I know a GED is supposed to be the same as a HSD, but the fact is that a lot of people look down on having a GED instead of a HSD.

I guess ultimately what I'm asking is this: Will I ever be able to have a good career as a paleontologist/biologist (preferably a well-paid one), and if so, how do I go about it?

I realize this may be out of the scope of this site, but I'm really desperate for some help and I don't know where to turn.

Thanks in advance for any replies.