Recently, the Shadow Ridge AFJROTC class took a field trip to Junior Achievement Finance Park. The experience was meant to challenge students and give them a view of the financial responsibilities that come with being an adult.
When the JROTC Cadets arrived, they were given an ipad with their own individual lifestyle which dictated their career, corresponding salary, and family status. There was a diverse range of profiles where some cadets were very financially stable, with or without kids, others were struggling to finish paying off debt as well as the responsibilities of having a kid or partner which left them with an even tighter budget. Although the students are getting closer to adulthood, their view on budgeting is very different, as they don’t have many financial responsibilities.
Sophomore Halia Zimmermann stated, “I’d say it was a really eye opening experience since it made me realize how expensive it can be to provide for yourself and family members. I was a single mom with two teenage children making only 35k a year so I really had to budget to stay at a comfortable amount of money. I think it’d be beneficial since it can help you learn how to finance your money better and what you should actually be spending your money on.”
At Junior Achievement, they would be faced with tasks like choosing between spending $150 on a concert ticket or saving that money for groceries for the week. A typical teenage response would be to choose the concert because groceries aren’t their responsibility but they weren’t choosing for themselves, they had to tap into their role and choose based off of that. Regardless of the lifestyles given, each student was challenged with the task of navigating personal finance: goal setting, wide budgeting, and making smart decisions in tough situations.
AFJROTC instructor Jackie Zimmerman stated, “For the last five weeks, we have prepared our cadets to live in the real/fake world. They learned about taxes, wants versus needs, and more. The goal was to prepare them for the financial part of their adulthood.”
For the cadets, the experience was more than just a math lesson but a valuable lesson on staying disciplined, responsible, and accountable. The experience was very helpful to students because some students weren’t aware of how expensive society is nowadays.
Cadet Riley Kim stated, “My experience was good and I would definitely recommend it to students because it showed kids how to properly budget their finances which is very important seeing how we are all approaching adulthood.”
By the end of the visit, the cadets walked away with more than just a fun little simulation. They were able to gain a vivid picture of the financial road ahead as well as learned skills that can help them in their everyday lives. While some students might think that their spending habits don’t matter now, it is important that they practice good spending habits now so they aren’t struggling financially in the future and if they are, they know how to properly overcome it.
The field trip to Junior Achievement Finance Park was a great experience for students because it required them to think critically about their decisions. As they continue to learn and grow, those lessons will serve as a strong structure for their financial well-being.
