At the end of April, I had the privilege of working with Mr. TJ Murphy, Mrs. Kate Nitz, and about 15 volunteer professionals from our amazing communities to host our annual Game of Life at Wapsie Valley. This is our 3rd (or 4th?!) year of doing this and each year we feel better and better about the impact we are having on our seniors the last few days before they jump out of the nest.
Here is how it works:
A few weeks before we play the game, students are given the opportunity to provide their ideal career paths and the subsequent average incomes. Then their “life scenarios” are randomized and given to them the morning of the game. Some are divorced. Some have multiple pets. Some have student loans to consider. And then they’re off! They walk through stations that replicate allllll the stuff that life requires of us (and throws at us) to get a feel for the stressors that can come from budgeting month-to-month expenses.
First, they begin at the bank. They have to find their net incomes and pay a student loan when applicable. Then they move onto homes and automobiles (depending on the size of family they’ve been randomly assigned) and then into insurances, daycare expenses, retirement savings, charities, utilities, entertainment, right down to the smallest spontaneous gas station purchases. In the meantime we have our nurse randomly distributing unexpected health occurrences, our police officer handing out random citations, and our fate cards dealing out good or bad financial events.
Lastly, and most importantly, we have two amazing volunteers manning our S.O.S. table. When the students get in a pinch, they are encouraged to ask for resources and ideas to navigate their circumstances. Maybe they need to sell their vehicle, maybe they need to downsize their home, maybe they need to get another job.
After they’ve navigated the game, I have the absolute pleasure of hosting a de-brief and helping our students explore ideas for how to balance life’s needs with their own needs, like saving for their futures. The students have the opportunity to give feedback and ask questions and are hopefully left with more financial literacy than before they played. We talk in depth about how money can be a great tool, or a very overwhelming stressor depending on the decisions you make with it.
Each year leading up to the game, I feel a lot of pressure to get it all right. But when we actually get together and work through it, the students end up making the process fun with their natural inquisitiveness combined with their itch to graduate. I hope to continue the tradition that Mr. Murphy initiated and that we continue to see people like you taking the time to pour back into our youth! THANK YOU to our repeat and first-time professional volunteers: TJ Murphy, Kate Nitz, Kim Ardnt, Tina Kaufman, McKayla Bellis, Kyle Shores, Jill Krall, Scott & Hailey Broten, Keri Kono, Mike Duffy, Sara Strottman, Mischa Matthias, Ben Hogan, and Nicole Barnes! Your time and efforts mean more than you know!
Congratulations, Seniors! We wish you the best in all your future endeavors and hope we see the fruits of your experiences come back to our communities in the future!
Go Warriors!
Ashlea (Kleitsch) Jones
Financial Advisor
Prime Capital Financial
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
primefinancialcedarrapids.com
(319) 269-7143
Advisory products and services offered by Investment Adviser Representatives through Prime Capital Investment Advisors, LLC (“PCIA”), a federally registered investment adviser. PCIA: 6201 College Blvd., Suite#150, Overland Park, KS 66211. PCIA doing business as Prime Capital Financial | Wealth | Retirement | Wellness.
Ashlea Jones