n November 21st, the Senior Class participated in Credit for Life, an event that has been an annual tradition here at Nantucket High School for the last eight years. At the beginning of second block, the seniors were called down to the auditorium where they were each given a folder that contained their name tags and information sheets, which outlined their occupations and starting salaries. Each student wandered from booth to booth purchasing their luxuries and necessities, while trying to keep their finances in order. The program consisted of fifteen booths that informed the students about the financial responsibilities that they will face after high school. Members of the Nantucket community, who are experts in their field of work, came in to share their knowledge about how their job affects the students as they transform into young adults.
Mr Barone, who oversees the program, shared that people from our community really enjoy coming in to talk to us and they love the energy from the students. He states, “It has an overall very important message. I feel that Credit For Life truly does give an accurate representation of the real world in terms of risky financial investments like car payments, student loans, bills, rent, food, and clothing.”
The specialists gave a fascinating, if overwhelming, presentation. The students are nearing the ends of their teenage years, which comes with a lot of new responsibilities such as going to college, and thinking about things they have never had to consider in the past. For some, it is almost surreal to imagine that they will be adults in a few years. The members of the community working the booths informed them about the importance of their jobs and how to maintain monthly incomes while spending wisely at all of the necessary stations. The booths ranged from housing, to transportation, to healthcare, to food plans and much more. Students had to consider tough choices between good food and rent, and more. They learned about the differences between credit and debit and the importance of paying off credit card bills.
Senior Benjamin Rudd shared, “It’s a valuable experience and I was really impressed with the students’ participation; however, I feel like some of the adults running the booths lacked knowledge in modern careers, in terms of varying educational degrees.”
Another senior, Grace Shannon, explained, “I thought it was helpful and made us think about all of the considerations we must take in account for the real world.”
The program was thoroughly enjoyable and involved many students. It was essential for everyone. It was a real hands on activity and allowed everyone to learn how to budget and the importance of money as a whole. With all of the students nearing graduation in the spring, the lessons learned throughout the activity were even more relevant. All in all, the event was once again a success.
By Tahlia Francis
Contributing writer
Veritas 
Leave a Reply