Archives > Little Elm Journal > News
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
RSS
Share
Seniors learn about life after high school
By Ann Marie Shambaugh, Staff Writer
Dozens of Little Elm High School seniors went to jail Thursday for writing hot checks and failing to carry auto insurance.
Fortunately they were released by the end of class, and this arrest won’t be on their criminal record.
The students found themselves in financial trouble through College Road Trip, an interactive presentation that teaches students about responsibility and the benefits of going to college.
A Little Elm police officer inspected balance sheets regularly, and if she caught anyone writing a bad check he or she went directly to jail.
Zavier Phillips landed in jail for failing to carry auto insurance he couldn’t afford, and he said that the experience will help him take better care of his funds in real life.
“I have a problem with managing my money a little bit, but now I see what happens when I don’t manage my money,” Phillips said.
A lanky grim reaper also roamed through the crowd, handing out cards with various emergencies and their cost to unlucky students.
Although the activity dealt primarily with checkbooks, the program was meant to educate the students on the importance of a college education.
“The focus of this is for them to see the importance of going to college, so that they can choose the kind of things that they want for their lives,” said Jim Franks of Sky Ranch, who led the program. “It’s about the kind of choices that they need to make by getting a college degree.”
A few students were able to go to college during the activity if they were the first to answer a question correctly. Those students went on to choose their own career, which provided more money than their original occupation.
“By the end of it we’re hoping they will realize that they need to go onto some kind of post-secondary education and get a degree,” LEISD lead counselor Stacy Jones said.
School board member Tish Anderson manned the auto insurance group, and she thinks that many of the students that visited learned an important life lesson.
“They were shocked at the high cost of insurance,” Anderson said. “Especially if they were married and had children.”
Jones brought the program to the high school this year after seeing its success in the school where she was previously employed.
“It opens up students’ eyes, and it’s a reality check to what real life is,” Jones said.
Many young adults find themselves financially upside-down quickly after high school according to “Generation Broke,” a study conducted by non-partisan public policy research and advocacy organization Demos.
The study found that adults age 18 to 24 saw credit card debt rise 104 percent between 1992 and 2001, to an average of $2,985. They also spend about 30 percent of their income on debt payments, which is double the amount in 1992.
After the students finished visiting the tables, Franks ended the reality check with a presentation stressing the importance of choices made at a young age. He said that many colleges will not accept students with a criminal background, which is why the “jail” was a part of the activity.
“If you’re not careful about the choices you’re making and the things you’re involved in, you might not get the opportunity to go to college,” he said.
Jones said that several students have already asked to speak with her about issues brought up during the presentation.
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
You must register with a valid email to post comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here:
Become a Registered User
- Return to: News «
- Home «
- Top of Page ^
