Graduating high school seniors prepare for ‘college’ graduation

ATLANTA — Paying attention in class is always a good idea, especially in this class. 

“As you progress through the week, you’ll have some expenses to encounter,” Personal Finance Teacher Maxim Wynn told his students.

It’s a group of graduating seniors from Drew Charter School in Southeast Atlanta. On Wednesday they gathered to plan for their ‘college’ graduations. 

“I believe it’s good to get you in the mode, to see how the real world works,” senior Zoe James said to Channel 2′s Berndt Petersen.

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Zoe is one of the seniors taking part in a ‘game’ brought here by Bank of America.

“It really starts them young. They can make mistakes in the ‘game’ now, so they don’t make them later,” Bank of America’s Derwin Brown said.

It’s called the Financial Literacy Challenge. The high school seniors take on the role of a college senior about to deal with expenses like student loan payments, health insurance, credit card debt, you name it. 

They might be forced to live paycheck to paycheck.

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“They get the kitchen sink thrown at them in the simulation, so they get a chance to handle the curveball that life throws at you,” Wynn said.

Many Drew Charter graduates will be first-generation college students, so they appreciate a little advice on what to expect once they get there. 

“Sometimes parents may not know how to tell their children things they may face because they didn’t experience it.  I do think it’ll help me a lot,” Zoe said. 

To learn more about the challenge, click here.

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