The Pando Initiative has been in charge of RealityU every year since 2002. Reality U is exactly what it seems, a future simulation geared to preparing young high school students for real life.

Students are gathered for a 75-minute interactive simulation in which they’re newly 26 years old. Before the simulation the students take a survey and before the simulation they are given their unique and individualized future scenario. Their monthly income, credit card information, student loan information, marital and family status is calculated for them before hand.

In the simulation students are given a checkbook register that aligns with their ‘life scenario’ and they visit 12 booths representing services and products that adults typically purchase each month. The only catch is that the balance can’t fall below zero.

Icarus Byrd, a sophomore participating in RealityU today said, “I’m a paramedic and I make $25,000 a year.” He made it good, with no kids to worry about. “To be honest its been easy sailing right now,” Byrd told us.

Domenik Heriford, another sophomore participating today, had this to say. “Yeah, I think I will know how much things are actually gonna be.” Domenik also got off easy with being single and having no kids to worry about.

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