SANDPOINT — Senior students at Sandpoint High School walked into the school’s gym Friday afternoon to discover a new life that had been randomly assigned to them.

All now 28 years old, some had college degrees, while others went straight to workforce, but they were striving for the same goal: balancing randomized budgets of income, debt, children and maybe a spouse. Fortunately for the students, SHS did not develop a time machine, instead the event was a part of the school’s yearly finance fair. 

“Our students, our community, comes together and lets students run through a real life simulation like, ‘Let's pretend here's your career, here's your debt, if you have college debt, or if you have credit card debt, you have two children,’” Jeralyn Mire, post-secondary transition counselor at SHS, said. “You get to run through a simulation, and they go spend their money and sort of get an eye opener.” 

Partnered with STCU, the fair allows students to get a glimpse into the complexity of the adult world and the constant balancing act of managing money. Mire said students have the ability to spend their money on everyday expenses, bills, debt and more. 

Senior Avery Thornton said she was assigned as a carpenter, who makes $4,000 a month, alongside a spouse who makes $2,000 a month, a 4-year-old child and $1,600 in credit card debt.  

Throughout the event, Thornton and her fellow students cycled through stations making decisions on how they were going to live based off their income. Thornton said that was a challenge and forced her to make tough decisions on housing, transportation, and clothing. 

“Only one of us could have a car because of the cost,” Thornton said. “So, I had to decide who would have the car and who would have public transportation... I decided I would have the car because I’m a carpenter, so I figured I’d have to get places.”  

She said she chose for her family to live in an apartment, to avoid the debt that comes with buying a house. Thornton said the event forced her to change her way of thinking about spending her money right now. 

“It made me realize I need to be more diligent with my money because it will be going to go toward things that matter,” Thornton said. “I’ll really have to balance my needs and my wants moving forward.” 

Despite the challenge of the event, Thornton said it was a fun atmosphere thanks to the community's participation and, of course, the provided snacks. She said she felt the event was very valuable for herself and peers as their graduation is only a few months away. 

At the end of the event, students had the chance to win prizes, go through a mock IRS review and apply for two scholarships that are specific to the event. Students also had the chance to learn more about credit cards and scores at a presentation put on by STCU. 

Mire credits the community for rallying around the event to put it together each year. The fair features booths lining nearly the entirety of Les Rogers Court with different steps and opportunities for students, from buying food to electronics or sports equipment. 

"It takes an army of volunteers to make this event happen, and we are grateful to the community for their support," Kari Granier, SHS vice principal, said.   

    All seniors at Sandpoint High School took part in the finance fair, meant to promote fiscal responsibility in young adults.
  

    Three SHS students work to manually balance their budgets on sheets at the finance fair.