With Stuart Hall students making headlines for starting businesses and making music, it is not hard to see that the Hall is filled with passionate people with inventive minds. From Visual Fanatic to FreshSF to Jaden Newman’s music, Stuart Hall is a place filled with great ideas and people who are energized to pursue them.

The innovative mindset of Stuart Hall is not solely the students, however. The $2500, school-sponsored Launch Grant not only gives students the opportunity to turn dreams into reality, but is a message that no idea is too small to be considered and everyone should respect their own ideas.

It is easier said than done to share ideas with others as it requires a confidence and vulnerability that can be challenging to muster. Allowing others to judge one’s ideas, which are an extension of a person himself, can be a risk that many people are reluctant to pursue.

Individuals strengthen the community through sharing their ideas and inspiring those around them to do the same.

Michael Tellini ’17 decided to start Visual Fanatic and now has eight other Stuart Hall students on his team. Nicholas Watts ’18 started FreshSF and was able to form a team of both boys and girls who were willing to work towards the same goal.

If Michael and Nick hadn’t had the courage to speak up, then then ideas for their businesses would have never seen the light of day. Their decision to speak up allowed them to develop their entrepreneurial and organizational skills.

Courage and confidence come easier to some than others, but the achievements of Stuart Hall students show what can happen when a person is able to muster these traits.

This risk can be nerve-racking to think about, but it requires trusting the Stuart Hall community, trusting one’s peers to respect ideas and thoughts.

Stuart Hall students need to take the risk to share their ideas for the betterment of themselves and the community around them.