About 80 Choctawhatchee High School students took on the role of working adults last Tuesday, navigating bills, budgets and financial decisions during the Okaloosa Public Schools Foundation’s 4th Annual Reality Check event.
- The hands-on financial literacy simulation assigned students careers, salaries and family scenarios, then challenged them to make virtual payments and build budgets as they moved through stations including Housing, Utilities, Insurance, Transportation and Communications.
“It was an eye-opening experience to have to make practical decisions on wants and needs with the given salary and budget,” said Ryan Taporco, a senior at Choctawhatchee High School.
Origin Bank sponsored this year’s event, which brought together community volunteers and partners to give juniors and seniors a taste of financial responsibility.
Principal Michelle Heck said the experience connected classroom learning with real life.
- “Seeing our juniors and seniors participate in this incredible event reaffirms the importance of connecting classroom learning with real-life experiences,” Heck said. “Our students stepped up, asked thoughtful questions, really took this experience seriously, and represented our school and their teachers with excellence. I’m very proud of them.”
Junior Abby Heck said the simulation offered valuable preparation. “It was a great real-world experience for opportunities and decisions we will encounter once we graduate high school,” she said.
The Okaloosa Public Schools Foundation coordinated the event with support from community partners and volunteers, including Okaloosa County School District, Doolittle Institute, Modern Technology Solutions Inc., Okaloosa County Teachers Federal Credit Union, Origin Bank, Eglin Federal Credit Union, CareerSource Okaloosa Walton, Okaloosa County Tax Collector’s Office and Niceville Starbucks.
Additional volunteers included members of the U.S. Air Force at Hurlburt Field, Mr. Mike McMain, Sarah Cato, Quanz Peters, Fort Walton Beach Women’s Club, U.S. Army Recruiters and Mortgage Apex.
John Spolski, executive director of the Okaloosa Public Schools Foundation, said the event fits the organization’s mission.
“Events like Reality Check align perfectly with the Foundation’s mission to support student success,” Spolski said. “We are deeply appreciative of our community partners who give their time and expertise to make this simulation both impactful and memorable for our students. Together, we are shaping financially responsible and informed young adults.”
