Students at a local high school recently got a hands-on lesson in financial literacy during the seniors’ second annual Reality Fair, a program designed to help them experience the challenges of managing adult finances.
The activity, which fulfills one of the eight career artifacts required for graduation, gave students a simulated monthly income based on a chosen career and asked them to make real-world financial decisions about housing, food, transportation, and entertainment. The fair’s goal was simple: to show students that adult life comes with choices and consequences.
High School Counselor Emilia Mattucci, together with Brenda Parks and Paul Mulbah from Pittsburgh Area Community Schools, organized the event, where students balanced budgets, made tough decisions, and discovered a few financial surprises.
Corey Guyer, who chose a career in paleontology, said the fair made him reflect on his lifestyle choices. “I’m trying to see how it would look if I kept this up and had this kind of income,” he explained. “If anything goes wrong, I can see where I can improve.” For Corey, the hardest part was managing personal wants versus needs. “It’s surprising how expensive even living with parents can be,” he said. “You don’t pay rent, but once you start contributing to expenses, you see how much it actually costs.”
Sanaya Wyche, who selected a career as a sonographer, called the fair a wake-up call. “It’s definitely a reality check,” she said. “I’ve never done anything like this before. I didn’t think food would be that expensive, but you need it to live.” She added that the experience taught her the importance of budgeting and tracking spending.
The Chief Financial Officer at event sponsor PHEPLE Federal Credit Union, Matthew Senkow, has been involved in multiple Reality Fairs and believes they are invaluable for high school students. “It’s eye-opening for them,” he said. “A lot of students don’t realize what costs their parents are covering. The numbers might not be perfect, but it gives them a realistic sense of what adult life costs.”
Volunteers from the community helped guide students through the event. Linda Ebel, from the Turtle Creek Rotary Club and a former financial aid director, emphasized the importance of teaching students that some expenses can’t be avoided. “You can’t opt out of eating or paying for your phone,” she said. “It’s always rewarding to see their reactions when they realize how much life really costs.”
At the end of the event stood the “Wheel of Reality,” where participants could spin to discover a random life event, good or bad. As Junior Senior High Principal Dr. R. J. Long explained, “The wheel of reality could be good. You might win $50 from a lottery ticket. Or bad, like when your hot water tank bursts and you have to pay $1,200 for a replacement. Life is chaotic sometimes.”
For many students, the fair was more than an academic exercise. It was a glimpse into their future. Sanayah Sears, who selected anesthesiology as her profession, was surprised by how quickly her high salary disappeared once expenses piled up. “I thought I’d have a lot of money left over,” she admitted. But after accounting for student loans and daily costs, her dream luxury car turned into a more practical compact electric vehicle.
By the end of the event, one message rang clear: financial literacy isn’t just about numbers; it’s about choices. Whether dealing with an unexpected repair or learning that eating out adds up fast, students left the Reality Fair with a new appreciation for what it takes to balance a budget in the real world.