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Davenport West students get financially literate with DuTrac

Davenport West students are getting a real-life lesson about money management. That’s why DuTrac Community Credit Union hosted the special session on Tues...

Davenport West students are getting a real-life lesson about money management. That's why DuTrac Community Credit Union hosted the special session on Tuesday.

Kayla Gibson got a reality check.

"Are you going to buy a house, or are you going to rent a house?" she was asked.

The Davenport West 10th grader faced lots of tough questions.

"Did you ever write a check before?"

It was a life lesson to help her learn how to handle money.

"It's pretty expensive because you never think about this stuff when you're just living at home with your parents," she said.

"You are getting close," said another participant.

Reasons why DuTrac held this workshop. Students visited 13 different stations and role played with reality.

These are real-world decisions that students will face after they graduate. Turns out, it can be a real eye-opener.

"That's exactly the kind of ah-hah moment that we're looking for," said DuTrac Senior Vice President Jason Norton. "Oh my gosh. I need to budget. I need to plan."

Chance Sprout, 16, pretended to be a married carpenter buying a Ford.

"I'm hoping it's teaching me how to budget and handle my money," he said.

Junior Austin Bebout is at the final stop.

"You're finishing well in the black," his advisor said.

Austin's profile includes extra money to save and pay student loans.

"This is the best one I've seen," the advisor commented.

Austin's good decisions in the exercise could pave the way for financial success down the road.

"Reality is going to hit everyone really hard," he concluded. "If they're prepared for it, it's just going to be better for everyone."

That's a reality check really worth the payout for these students.

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