Willows Alum Creates Social Emotional Intelligence App – Stella 5.0
Willows Alum Creates Social Emotional Intelligence App – Stella 5.0
This story begins with a problem. The problem? A lack of research on the mental health of people working in isolated places. When there’s a problem, The Willows teaches students to find a solution. That is exactly what alum, Isis Ginyard, decided to do. She created the Stella App; An app that helps people working in isolated spaces cope with mental health issues.
Isis, currently a 16-year-old at Windward High School, started this app when she was an 8th grader at The Willows and has been working on it over the last three years constantly evolving it to what it is now Stella version 5.0. She was inspired by The Willows MAKER classes and her time spent on the middle school robotics team. The app, which originally was intended for astronauts, is now reaching many other professionals living in isolated environments, such as underwater research teams, researchers in Antarctica, and even many of us living through the pandemic.
Stella App is made up of multiple components that focus on the different factors that contribute to mental health. These components are exercise, sleep, diet, journal, and therapy. The app allows individuals to track these components to make sure they are getting enough exercise, sleep, and nutrition. It also provides individuals the ability to track their moods and thoughts through a digital journal as well as access to a weekly/daily psychiatrist. This all-encompassing app ties in all the main factors that contribute to mental health and offers live customizable and personal suggestions based on the dynamic data that is being logged by the individual and monitored by a psychiatrist.
In addition to the continued evolution of the Stella App, Isis is looking for new partnerships to help take the app to the next level. Isis belongs to 10 different clubs, two of which she founded and two of which she is president. One of the clubs she started is a “Women in STEM” club. She has also been teaching middle school kids to code and is starting a magazine that focuses on diversity and inclusion based on her experiences in the Visibility Group at The Willows.
The Willows is an environment where “Great Minds Grow”. Our school culture, flexible approach to innovation, and hands on learning continues beyond our walls. Isis Ginyard is living proof of that!
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Athletics isn’t just about earning trophies, scoring goals, winning games, or receiving accolades. The greatest reward is something much bigger that can’t be found on the scoreboard or in the stat sheet. It’s found within a child.
The ultimate award? Confidence.
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Predicting what the future holds for our children is a task without end. With new technologies developing at unforeseen rates and global challenges lacking solutions, questions continue to arise about how to prepare the next generations to innovate and lead. While it can be easy to find comfort in familiar traditions, solving unique problems requires creative solutions. This means viewing obstacles not as handicaps, but as opportunities to persevere.
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We are proud to share that The Willows Community School has been recognized by The Hollywood Reporter as one of Los Angeles’ Best Private Schools. For The Willows, this recognition reflects our long-standing commitment to a balanced yet demanding progressive education rooted in experiential learning and social values.
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