For one morning at Humboldt High School, students suddenly became 26-year-old adults with jobs, spouses, budgets, and even babies to care for. Some were shocked to find out how expensive life could be. Others quickly learned the hard truth about balancing wants and needs. It was all part of “Cub Futures Day,” held Wednesday, a hands-on event designed to prepare students for real-world success.
Cub Futures Day featured two major components: a Reality U financial literacy simulation in the morning and a career fair in the afternoon. Together, they gave students a glimpse of adulthood — from paying bills to planning careers — long before they graduate high school.
Reality U is a 75-minute interactive personal finance simulation that challenges students to imagine their lives at age 26. Before the event, students completed an online survey about their future lifestyle choices, such as career plans, family size, and education. Their GPA was factored in to determine income and career options.
When the simulation began, students received individualized profiles that included income, student loans, credit card debt, and family status. They then made their way through 12 booths representing adult expenses like housing, transportation, child care, insurance, and groceries. Each student carried a checkbook to track purchases and were given one unbreakable rule: their balance could not fall below zero.
Some students were “married” and shared a combined budget, requiring teamwork and communication as they decided whether to rent or buy a home, drive a truck or take the bus, or save for retirement. Others found themselves as single parents managing the costs of child care and utilities. Those who overspent had to take a second job at the “Help! I need more money” booth to make ends meet.
Reality U Manager Jacob Bentley welcomed volunteers and students, explaining how the program connects school habits like turning in assignments on time with future financial health, likening good study habits to maintaining a strong credit score.
Bentley also offered words of wisdom to students: “You can do this. I believe in you,” he said, before reminding them that while marriage and babies might be fun in theory, they come with big responsibilities — and bills. “You can’t afford divorce,” he joked.
By the end of the simulation, students had navigated the full range of adult financial decisions. The afternoon’s career fair then gave them a chance to connect what they learned to real opportunities, with community members and employers discussing local jobs, training programs, and future career paths.
