SCHS freshman Akash Vig believes that everyone should receive the opportunity to make their ideas into a reality. Since middle school, Vig saw that many of his peers were making amazing creations, but they eventually lost interest and their ideas went to waste. This observation led to the birth of the Shark Tank Club.

“This club teaches students about business and how to implement their ideas in the workforce,” Vig said. “We focus more on trying to make our members formulate feasible ideas and the study of entrepreneurship.”

Based off of the popular reality TV show of the same name, the Shark Tank Club tackles the aspects of business among youth. As co-president, Vig aims to educate students about the ethics of entrepreneurship.

Shark Tank Club’s advisor, art teacher Erik Torres, believes in the students’ abilities to produce amazing ideas. He thinks that the members will be able to gain a vast array of knowledge from the club meetings.

“The students have so much ambition and presentation skills, ” Torres said. “They have great ideas, and I want to see where they can take them.”

During Shark Tank Club meetings, students develop business ideas, pitch them to each other and team up to present them. At the end of the year, teams mock-pitch their final idea to the “sharks,” student judges who play the role of investors and decide whether or not to invest in the proposed business.

Freshman club member Akshita Ponnuru thinks the club not only affects students in business aspects but in other ways as well.

“The Shark Tank Club taught me about efficient communication and the reward of hard work,” Ponnuru said. “Collaboration and confidence in your ideas is key.”

Co-president, freshman Rhea Jain, believes a student’s motivation and seriousness are important factors for being a businessperson inside and outside the club.

“It is pretty rigorous and isn’t for everyone,” Jain said.  “Having dedication is what sets a successful entrepreneur apart from an unsuccessful one.”

Jain and her peers’ goal is to aid their members in bringing their ideas to life in the real world.  

“Students are able to channel their inner competitiveness and imagination into their inventions,” Jain said. “It’s like a creative outlet for business wannabes.”