What comes to mind when you hear the word “fear”? Is it a memory, a challenge or an unknown? On Monday morning, students at Blair were asked to confront this question by the all-school speaker, Darryl Bellamy Jr. His challenge was simple yet profound: reflect on whether fear has ever stood in the way of reaching the next level.

Mr. Bellamy, who left the corporate world to pursue a career as an international speaker, captivated the packed DuBois Theatre with a message of reframing fear to become empowered. “When we feel that fear,” he said, “instead of stepping back or shying away, we want to take action—even if we might fail—and give ourselves grace in the process.”

A graduate of the University of North Carolina–Charlotte, Mr. Bellamy is now an author, consultant and founder of Fearless Inside, a movement aimed at fostering belonging and happiness in students’ lives. Since 2017, he’s been on a mission to help people “fear a little less”—not to eradicate fear, but to embrace it as a pathway to growth.

Mr. Bellamy’s presentation invited students to “trace” their fears—encouraging them to recognize and confront the anxieties that weigh them down. Backed by research, he explained how naming and sharing fears can significantly reduce their grip on us. “It’s important to share those things outwardly, to get it out of your head in some way,” Mr. Bellamy shared. “That’s how we’re able to move forward.”

With more than 70,000 documented fears collected from audiences across the country, Mr. Bellamy has seen recurring themes. “It doesn’t matter who I’m speaking to…I see the same fears over and over again,” Mr. Bellamy said. “And we think when we have those fears and we share them outwardly that we will be seen as weak or inadequate, but it’s actually the opposite. The more we share those things, the more our fears are seen and the more connected we feel to one another.” In a powerful exercise, students wrote their fears on slips of paper and cast them into a symbolic fire. As Mr. Bellamy read aloud fears of acceptance, expectations and success, the room filled with snaps of recognition—a collective acknowledgment of common struggles.

Mr. Bellamy encouraged students to stop running from their fears and instead confront them with simple, practical tools. He demonstrated techniques for calming the body’s fear response, such as controlled breathing and mindful posture. “If all those things are right when you’re about to take that next step,” Mr. Bellamy said, “it will allow you to take more future steps.”

Students left Mr. Bellamy’s program with more than just his words and a better mindset surrounding fear. Everyone was also given a Fearless Band as a tangible reminder that—regardless of external circumstances—the ability to choose courage over fear lies within them. Following the presentation, Mr. Bellamy met with senior leaders for a Q&A session, where students asked deeper questions about his career journey and how they could apply his teachings to their own lives and the broader Blair community. As the session drew to a close, Mr. Bellamy asked what segments impacted them the most. One student shared a final thought that resonated with the room: “I’ve made it through 100 percent of my bad days so far.”