Spoon River College welcomed 640 students from Astoria, Bushnell Prairie City, Canton, Cuba, Farmington, Havana, LaHarpe, Lewistown, Macomb, Spoon River Valley, and VIT to their annual 8th Grade Reality Store held April 25 at the Canton Campus.
The unique career awareness event, organized by SRC advisor Brandi Ketcham, allows students to get a dose of ‘adulting’ and money management. “The event does two things; it allows them to hear real inside information about various careers from people actually working in those areas, plus shows them how little money is often left from a paycheck after paying for the necessities such as food, housing, utilities, and other bills,” said Ketcham.
After choosing a career and attending an informational session with a professional from that field, students receive a paycheck that reflects the starting salary in their chosen career—minus taxes—and then visit stations where they ‘pay’ their monthly living expenses—clothing, food, medical, transportation, entertainment, and housing. Some students also are randomly designated as married with children, single with children, which comes with additional expenses, or single without children.
“They also have to spin the dreaded Wheel of Chance, which might be a windfall such as winning money in a contest, or an unexpected expense like a car repair,” Ketcham said. “They also learn that sometimes having children means you can’t afford that cool car or that dream vacation.”
And year after year, they comment on the follow-up survey that they were surprised how much their parents have to spend each month on bills. “It definitely gives them a difference perspective on being an adult,” said. Ketcham.
Assisting with the event were students from Canton High School, as well as Spoon River College students, athletes and employees.
Presenters who shared information about their professions were Dr. Jason Chamberlin, healthcare professional; Evyn Way, welding careers; Dean Clary, computer careers; Jamie Kotewa, art careers; Allyson Smith, farming, fishing, forestry; Dr. Jacob Standard, animal science; Nick Tinsman, lawyer; teacher, Holly Frisby and Ashley McKown; law enforcement, Deputy Brock Vogel; nursing, Katy Tinsman; business owner, Jace Chamberlin; beauty services, Spencer Smith and Ashley Wilcoxen; military, retired Army Colonel Corey Wise; engineer, Ted Neuendorf; and psychologist/counselor, Andrea Garnett.
Pictures of the event will be posted on the Spoon River College Facebook page.
