As one of this years new fellows (Who happens to be 17), I would say $100 is not something that alone is going to help me do something interesting, but is going

As one of this years new fellows (Who happens to be 17), I would say $100 is not something that alone is going to help me do something interesting, but is going to help a lot. A lot of people that do not know the fellows and other finalists don't realize that we have gained a lot of knowledge and experience in our fields prior to applying for the fellowship. I've had three years experience in hardware prototyping and development at MIT, and have been hacking and tinkering for a much longer time. The $100k is there to allow you to follow your dreams... both as a safety net and a way to cover personal expenses. A lot of us hope to or are in the process of receiving Angel, VC, or some other form of funding to better cover our projects. As for whether it is a responsible thing to do, a large part of what the fellowship is is a "life accelerator", as the money is virtually "no strings attached" (Well, there are quarterly "check in" review meetings, with review forms.) There isn't a temptation to spend all the money at once as it is given in monthly payments (Though you can ask for a larger sum as long as you give a good reason.) While I suppose you aren't able to trust me due to my bias, I would say that myself and a majority of the other fellows would be "responsible" with the money we receive just on the fact that we want to succeed. I take great pride in my work, and want to fulfill the cliche of "changing the world", and I will continue trying. I think my sense of responsibility developed just like anyone else (even if the average person typically only becomes what society considers 'responsible' during/after college)... if you want to achieve something, whether it be to launch a product and start a company, get a job, buy a house, or have a family, you find a way to do it and try as hard as you can to do it. I hope that the other fellows and I are able to show that young people are able to do these things, and these "life lessons" can be learned at a much earlier age than most people think, and that we can truly change the world...with or without a piece of paper telling us what we know.