👥 Who: Choctawhatchee High School students, Principal Michelle Heck, Ryan Taporco, Abby Heck, John Spolski, OPSF, and community partners
📘 What: “Reality Check” financial literacy simulation
📅 When: Held yesterday
📍 Where: Choctawhatchee High School, Fort Walton Beach
❓ Why: To teach students practical money management and real-life budgeting skills
About 80 students at Choctawhatchee High School got a crash course in adulthood this week during the Okaloosa Public Schools Foundation’s fourth annual Reality Check—a hands-on financial literacy simulation designed to teach teens how to budget, plan, and make smart money decisions.
Students were assigned careers, salaries, and family scenarios before making their way through a maze of stations staffed by community partners. At each stop—Housing, Utilities, Insurance, Transportation, Communications, and others—they had to make virtual payments and build a budget that would hold up under real-world pressures.
The event’s goal: show students the true cost of living and how everyday choices affect financial stability.
Origin Bank sponsored this year’s program, helping to bring the large-scale simulation to life. Choctawhatchee High School Principal Michelle Heck said she was proud of how seriously her juniors and seniors approached the challenge.
“Seeing our juniors and seniors participate in this incredible event reaffirms the importance of connecting classroom learning with real-life experiences,” Heck said. “Our students stepped up, asked thoughtful questions, really took this experience seriously, and represented our school and their teachers with excellence.”
Students agreed.
Senior Ryan Taporco called the simulation “eye-opening,” especially when faced with tough decisions about wants versus needs.
Junior Abby Heck said the experience showed her the kinds of financial choices she’ll confront soon after graduation.
The Okaloosa Public Schools Foundation coordinated the event with support from a long list of local partners and volunteers, including the Okaloosa County School District, Doolittle Institute, MTSI, Okaloosa County Teachers Federal Credit Union, Origin Bank, Eglin Federal Credit Union, CareerSource Okaloosa Walton, the Okaloosa County Tax Collector’s Office, Niceville Starbucks, U.S. Air Force members from Hurlburt Field, the Fort Walton Beach Women’s Club, U.S. Army recruiters, Mortgage Apex and several individual community volunteers.
OPSF Executive Director John Spolski said the event fits squarely within the foundation’s mission.
“Events like Reality Check align perfectly with the Foundation’s mission to support student success,” Spolski said. “We are deeply appreciative of our community partners who give their time and expertise to make this simulation both impactful and memorable for our students. Together, we are shaping financially responsible and informed young adults.”
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
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