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Editorial

It is always inspiring to see high school students know what they want and not be scared to go after it.

In a world that is filled with different obstacles, knowing your dream and setting goals to achieve it at a young age is as scary as it gets.

Most of us who are older miss the days of being younger and in high school or college because of how much simpler times seemed to be.

The thought of going back and wanting to work instead of enjoying life at that age has to give you a headache.

But it is so inspiring when we do see those students not only think outside the box, but accomplish something many of us will never be able to.

That is what Pelham High School student Hunter Thompson has done.

The 17-year-old came up with the idea, out of the blue, to start a clothing line.

A lover of hats and hunting, he set out with a vision of starting a company that could combine his love for the outdoors with his love for outdoor gear.

Thus, Rippin’ South was born.

Thompson got the necessary equipment and gear to start producing hats and T-shirts alongside his friend Ryan Maxwell.

Each of his hats has a hand-stitched leather patch on the front with the company’s name and other design elements such as antlers or ducks, while the shirts feature similar graphic designs.

The two do all of the work for the apparel themselves, and it is something the young entrepreneur should be proud of accomplishing.

As a high school student, it takes a lot of commitment to not only balance school work but run a new business at the same time.

It can also be a scary leap to take, which means you have to have a lot of courage and faith to make it happen.

Anytime you start a new business, it’s much more than just producing the product and selling it. You have to advertise it, you have to deal with upset customers, you have to handle packing and shipping it.

All of that and more while also being a full-time student.

It can be discouraging, and it’s a lot easier to give up than to keep going, but that isn’t part of the plan.

It’s those kinds of minds that we need and that kind of encouragement from the next generation of business people that we need for a bright future.