One of the most important lessons that students learn, and yet one of the more difficult to teach, is that the choices they make, both in high school and after, directly impact the lifestyle they lead. Decisions about education and careers, particularly, are difficult ones that students struggle to make
Students at Marietta High School were privileged to be able to participate in an activity on Tuesday, October 11, called “The Game of Life” that allowed them to see the impact of their life choices, but instead of having to wait for years, the evidence of that impact was quickly seen.
Based on a popular board game, in the real-world Game of Life, students received a randomly selected career, salary, and a family to provide for.
As they traveled along the road to the game’s conclusion, they encountered real-world experiences and expenses. Students were faced with managing a budget and juggling costs for housing, health care, vehicles, utilities, childcare, and many others.
As students navigated their “life” they were forced to take a sharp look at necessities and luxuries in order to live within their monthly budget. Each of these life occurrences were distributed at booths staffed by teachers and community volunteers.
And the big lesson, the goal of the game, came at the end when students were able to see how career choices and spending habits can influence a person’s lifestyle -- and their bank account balance.
All high school students had the opportunity to play the game, which was developed by The University of Oklahoma’s K20 Center.
The game was rolled out under the direction of Tammy Sherfield, the district’s Instructional Coach, Professional Development Director, and Gifted and Talented Director.
“The K20 sophomore and junior class grant funded the materials for this event and provided T-shirts for the volunteers, as well as the sophomore and junior classes,” said Sherfield. “But we had several businesses in our community that made donations to provide the freshmen and senior shirts and to provide food for the event, and we can’t thank them enough for their help. Our school is so grateful for the community support that we have.”
Donations were provided by Red River Valley REA, Michelin, Ken Delashaw, Marietta Pee Wee Football, Sam Barrick, Kerr Pumps/FlowValve, La Roca, J & D Auto Sales, and JC Auto Parts.
Volunteering were KorDale Lornes and Courtney Hickman from REA, Lindsey Custar from First National Bank, Misty Kirk from Mercy Health Love County Clinic, Sandi Sanchez from Keller & Williams Realty, Warren Blackmon and Jymme Stewart from Michelin, Connor Choate from the Marietta Monitor, and Brother Brett Alberda, pastor of Eastside Baptist Church.
Lunch for all volunteers was provided by Chef Rodney from the taste.
Several teachers and administrators staffed booths and were on hand to help keep students on track.
“This has been an eye-opening experience for our kids,” said Assistant High School Principal Ron Norman, “and I think especially so because they’re getting information and encouragement about making good choices from people besides their teachers – people from out in the business world. It’s making them think.”
Students were quickly able to see that what might seem like a healthy salary doesn’t stretch as far as they thought.
REA’s KorDale Lornes and Courtney Hickman staffed the table where kids stopped to find out what their utility expenses would be.
“We had a kid who came to us, and when we told him what his utilities were going to cost, he said, ‘Well I can’t afford that,’” said Lornes. “I told him, ‘If you want electricity and water, you have to afford this, so you’re going to have to figure out a way – like rent an apartment instead of buying a house, and make your kids share a bedroom.’”
Lornes went on to explain that differentiating between needs and wants might be one of the best lessons he saw kids learn during the game.
“They have to realize what’s most important,” he said, “that you have to make sure you have the necessities before you spend money on the extras. Learning to prioritize is an important lesson.”
For every student who was excited to be staying on their budget, there were three or four who did not have money and unhappy because they spent so much money on entertainment and personal care that they couldn’t make their car payment.
“These kids are learning things today that are real life lessons,” said Mercy Health Love County’s Clinic Director Misty Kirk. “They’re seeing how expensive health care and childcare and insurance are. They’re facing the reality that life is tough, and they’re having to think about things that have never been brought to their attention before. And these things may be hard to face, but better now than later, right?”
Students were looking forward to getting out of a class to play a game, and instead, they learned about life.
“You think that when you get out of high school, life will get easier,” said one student, “but I found out today that it’s going to get a lot harder instead. It’s kind of a bummer. My mind is blown.”
Many students talked about how they ran out of money long before they got to spend any on “fun” things like entertainment, and others about how they’d barely started and already they’d overspent their budget. Each student carried a clipboard on which they kept track of their expenses, and the shellshocked look on many faces spoke volumes.
“I was so impressed with the thoughtfulness in which our students were working their way through the ‘Game of Life,’” said Superintendent Brandi Naylor. “Although high school-aged kids think they know what it takes for life after graduation, when they started adding up their expenses compared to the career path they were given, I think it really opened some eyes.”
Naylor went on to express her appreciation to the high school faculty members and administrators who organized the event, and to all the community volunteers and donors for their help.