BISHOP FEEHAN HIGH SCHOOL

Students Get a Financial Taste of the ???Real World???

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Boys group from left: Jeremiah Sullivan (Attleboro), Will Shanley (Attleboro), Ted McNulty (Cumberland, RI), Humza Noor (Norton), and Gavin O???Keefe (Norfolk).

ATTLEBORO ??? Eighty-three Bishop Feehan High School students recently experienced “Real World Day” at Bryant University as a culmination of Feehan’s Economic Financial Literacy Month???. ???Getting FISCALly Fit.???

??For four weeks prior to the event, economics classes discussed risk, budgets, credit, investments, and loans, as part of the daily curriculum, with guest lecturers representing different parts of the financial services field.?? Kristin Rojas, the assistant vice president of community affairs for the Pawtucket Credit Union, was a guest speaker.

??Madison Lalor (Norton), guidance counselor Chris Charron, Giorgia Munroe (Foxboro), and Nicole Tiberio (Mansfield).

The Pawtucket Credit Union and Bryant University co-sponsored the event, which provided the students with live hands-on experience. Each student chose a career and a detailed form was then prepared for them with “Real Life” situations and expenses. The scenario was based on where they expect to be in five years after graduation from Bishop Feehan.

??The ???real life??? situations included looking for a place to live – rent or buy, purchasing or leasing an automobile or taking public transportation, insurance, savings, retirement allotment, and more. ???We even added in a few real life situations,??? said Glenn Loiselle, economics teacher at Feehan. ???Marriage, children, even going back to school was in the equation. It was great to see how the students adapted and handled each challenge.???

??Michaela Cimino (Norton) and Isabelle Donovan (N Attleboro).

The MAC Center on the campus of Bryant University was set up like a trade show with booths staffed by industry experts. Booths included housing, banking and food; there was even a “temptation island,” where the students’ will power was tested.

The goal was to have the students live based on their projected salary.

“We even threw a few ‘life curves’ at them along the way,” said Loiselle.”In the end, they met with career and budget counselors to determine if they ‘won’ by living within their budget and saving for the future. Indeed, a real life lesson for us all.”??

Accompanying the Feehan students to Bryant, in addition to Loiselle were Chris Charron, Guidance Counselor; Robyn York, Library Director; Doug Rodrigues, Director of Campus Ministry and Shannon Maher, Science Department.??