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.”