'We need to pay for utilities," Dana Walden exclaimed to her partner, Brea McIntyre.
"I only have $78," an exasperated McIntyre responded.
"Well, let's get you a second job," Walden said as she tugged at McIntyre's sweatshirt and hauled her friend across the Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences library Wednesday morning.
Walden and McIntyre were among some 60 seniors at CSAS who were taking part in a financial role-playing exercise, sponsored by the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce.
The program, "Reality Check," has been giving Hamilton County students a taste of real-life money management since 2003.
"The activity increases their awareness of the connection between education, income and careers," said Cathy Humble, education and public strategies coordinator for the Chamber.
The 40-minute workshop gives each student a simulated situation - they are assigned a career, a level of education and a family, such as whether they have any children or if their spouse works. Students then visit 12 booths such as 'Reality Insurance' or 'Realville Utilities,' where volunteers help them total the costs of their bills.
The exercise gets quite animated, as it did with Walden and McIntyre.
Parneeta Mohapatra, another CSAS senior, looked exasperated as she looked at the options at the 'Realville Automotive' booth Wednesday.
Upcoming ‘Reality Check’ workshops
› Chattanooga High School Center for the Creative Arts: 9-12:30 p.m. on Jan. 29› Ivy Academy: 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Fe. 2› Ooltewah High School: 7:30 a.m.-2:15 p.m. on both Feb. 8 and 9› Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy: 1:30 p.m.-30 p.m. on Feb 16› Tyner Academy: 9-11:30 a.m. on Feb. 27
Beth Harrell, right, helps senior Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences student Regina Vaughn with budgeting living expenses during Wednesday's Reality Check workshop, an awareness of budgeting real life expenses for living. Robin Smith, top left, and Parneeta Mohapata deal with the same Realty issues."I guess I don't need a car," she said as she moved on to the groceries booth. "I guess I do need to eat though."
Some students already have an idea of what things cost, said the school's College and Career Adviser Jenny Wells, but only on a small scale.
"The large majority of students don't understand budgeting at a large scale like budgeting for college," Wells said. "They don't know what it takes to run a household."
Tennessee is one of 23 states that require personal financial education for graduation, but students don't always connect their future income with their educational choices.
"We want them to see how important it is to stay in school and get that good-paying job," Humble said.
One of the simulation options is they can choose to go back to school and pass the HiSET or earn a more advanced degree.
"I'd like more money because I have a kid to take care of," senior Dahlia Carmichael said as she asked volunteer Ron Lowe about her options in the exercise.
Lowe walked her through her options - the simulation only allows students to go up one educational level - but reminded her she still had a plethora of options in real life.
"In real life, you make about $20,000 more a year with a bachelor's degree than a high school diploma," Lowe said. 'That's about a million dollars over your life."
Despite getting kids into post-secondary options, Hamilton County struggles with producing graduates who actually earn degrees after high school.
Data from 2015 shows 65 percent of graduates of the Hamilton County Schools system fail to earn any education past high school, which can severely affect their lifetime earnings.
Many CSAS students - of whom the vast majority do go down a post-secondary education path - knew some of the role-playing simulations were not what they wanted.
"For me, I know I want to have more than a technical degree, this isn't the future I want for myself," Walden said of her mock-role. "But this is like a 'scared straight' sort of thing."
McIntyre still felt like the exercise was beneficial.
"I sorta understand how to budget," she said. "But I don't really know how much things cost."
Chamber staff and volunteers intentionally update the exercises' numbers and figures with inflation or as area rents increase. Humble also has a list of more than 300 volunteers she taps into to help run the workshops, which are offered to all area high schools each year.
"Today is a very educational day," said Darian Scott, the Chamber's outreach coordinator. "They have these light bulb moments."
Those moments are volunteer Yolonda Hayslett's favorite moments. Hayslett is also a Chamber employee - she is an accounting manager - and she said Reality Check is her favorite program that the Chamber offers.
"Imagine not having a degree and getting a job and in this market where you're making, what, $12 an hour and you have to run a household," Hayslett said.
The Chamber also offers other workforce development programs. Those programs include separate career fairs for eighth-graders and then a joint college and career fair for high school juniors and seniors, the 'Get a Job' workshop aimed at high school sophomores that teaches students soft skills for job interviews and 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' which focuses on savings and credit management with high school juniors.
The Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences career fair will take place on March 9. Several Reality Check workshops are still scheduled at other Hamilton County high schools this spring.
To see the full schedule and get information on how you can volunteer, visit www.chattanoogachamber.com/programs-services/workforce/reality-check.
Contact staff writer Meghan Mangrum at mmangrum@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592. Follow her on Twitter @memangrum.