300 Sonoma students participate in financial reality workshop

Sonoma Valley High School’s senior class experienced a “Bite of Reality” workshop on Thursday, April 13.

The event was held at Sonoma Raceway, and it was part of a larger North Bay initiative taking place at high schools all over Marin and Sonoma counties.

The 2.5-hour financial reality fair was billed as a live version of the Game of Life.

Half of the raceway’s garages hosted the “Bite of Reality” program which focused on financial literacy. The other half featured community members who spoke on three subject areas: legal issues of becoming an adult (attorney Helen Marsh and Deputy Matt Regan); mental and physical health and well-being (psychologist Phylis Wakefield) and social media (writer James Marshall Berry), plus introductory speeches from Tim Boeve and Mayor Rachel Hundley. At the end of the session (and a lunch break), the groups switched and repeated.

SVHS senior Grace Cutting said she found it interesting and that she learned a lot.

“The budgeting activity was a clever way to help us realize the many responsibilities we will face in the new future and I appreciated how hands-on it was,” she said.

Senior Wyatt Lage thought it was well-planned.

“The speakers were really enlightening and we got a glimpse into what our lives might be like in two, 10 or 20 years,” he said.

Wendy Swanson, the workplace learning coordinator at SVHS, felt that the day gave the students a powerful glimpse into the future.

“I think all left feeling a little more appreciative for what they have now,” she said.