On Friday, March 15, the Mount Greylock counseling office hosted a reality fair in the auditorium to teach students how to handle and manage their finances.The fair was mandatory for juniors to attend, but seniors were also welcome. The reality fair helped serve as a way to prepare the soon-to-be adults for financial scenarios they would encounter in their adult lives.
Students were given a career that was loosely attached to their own personal interests, a monthly salary and the education requirements for that occupation. Students would cycle through different stations where they would learn about different aspects of life in the Berkshires, including but not limited to student loans, taxes, rent and groceries.
“It was good to get a clear picture of the kind of stuff I would have to make choices about after college,” junior Claire Burrow said.
“I had already learned a lot of the stuff we discussed while taking Personal Finance, so there was some stuff that was kind of repetitive, but there was also a lot of stuff that I learned,” Burrow added.
In addition to learning about financial situations, there was a raffle with prizes available as an added bonus at the end. “It was a pretty good experience overall,” Burrow said.
English teachers Kellie Houle and Rebecca Tucker-Smith helped the students that attended the fair write thank you notes to a representative from Berkshire Community College who discussed student loans with them.
The reality fair helped students get a better grasp on what their lives may be like after they graduate, and provided a new form of educating students on finances besides the pre-existing personal finance class. The school appears likely to continue to hold the fair in the future.
