"Reality of Money" provides real-world financial experience

Henry McKeand
Editor-in-Chief and A&E Editor

  As students near the end of their high school careers, the idea of dealing with financial responsibilities as an adult can be stressful, but the “Reality of Money” financial simulation from the North Carolina Credit Union gave Apex students a chance to learn about managing money in the real world.  The simulation, organized in part by career development coordinator Jackson Hayes, presented students with a fictional financial situation.  They were given an income, an occupation, a marital status, and a number of kids in their care.  Savings, student loans, and other factors were also considered.  Russell Duncan, a math teacher who was involved in bringing the project to life, says that the goal of the workshop was to help students “really learn about money.”

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      In addition to the NC Credit Union and Apex teachers, volunteers with any financial experience, personal or professional, were brought in to give assistance.  Chris Lane, an employee for Morgan-Stanley, was one of those volunteers.  When asked what the simulation’s purpose was, Lane said, “Reality.  Reality is different from perception.  You have to consider your expenses vs. your income.”  The simulation also showed what life without a solid education would really be like.  Naturally, students who were put in a situation where they did not have a degree faced some serious problems.  Senior Grace Fendrick says that the experience at the workshop “gave incentives to get a degree outside of high school.”  This was an important part of the project, and the teachers involved were aiming to demonstrate the value of an education.  “More education equals higher income,” Hayes says.  “It’s less about budgeting and more about just seeing what it would really be like in real life.”