April 5th, 2016.

8:00am.

Roughly 180 high school juniors emerged from the old, worn-down doors of Pentucket. Where did they go?

The Credit for Life Fair.

The Credit for Life gives students an opportunity to spend their “money” earned from a occupation of their choice at numerous booths.

Each booth represents an area where one would spend his money. Students were required to buy housing, utilities, clothing, and other necessities. They also had the opportunity to splurge a little by going on vacation, buying a pet, or purchasing a sports car.

Here are what the students have to say about Credit for Life:

Junior Cori Snook said “I didn’t go because I saw it as an excuse to skip school. And, as nice as that would have been, I have a lot of work I need to catch up on and I want to end this semester well.” Considering her upbringing, Snook said “I grew up from a family that taught me a lot of life lessons.”

After having discussed the Credit for Life Fair with older students, Snook commented “From what I’ve heard from past years you didn’t really learn skills. Not how to actually deal with it.” Overall, Snook was content with her decision to pass up the Credit For Life Fair.

Another junior, Natalie Davis, had a different opinion. She said “I liked being able to see kids from all different schools and have a fun day outside of what we usually do in a school day.” After having attended the Fair, Davis said “I learned that it’s really difficult to manage money even if you manage money well and you might not have a lot depending on your profession.” Davis fully enjoyed the experience, despite being “arrested” by the Safety and Security volunteers at the Fair.

Clearly, the Credit For Life has many valuable experiences to offer. The students who attended the fair are now better prepared to be financially independent as they continue after graduation.