Hillcrest HS Students Attend Reality Fair

Seventeen young ladies from the Hillcrest Professional Young Women’s Network Group (PYWN), attended the Reality Fair at Prairie State College. Many schools in the south suburban area attended the event as well. The day began with an inspirational guest speaker Jordyn, owner of Jordy Cakes in Country Club Hills. Jordyn, who is a self-taught cake artist, shared her inspirational story about her passion to bake and the steps she took to get her business up and running by the age of twenty-one! Then the girls had the pleasure of participating in a “Reality Fair.” Each young lady received a sheet a paper that gave a description of their occupation and monthly income, spouse, credit card and student loan debt, and the name and age of their children. Each one had the daunting task to configure a monthly budget for themselves and their family. They had to include all the household essentials: mortgage, their mode of transportation, food, utilities, clothing, etc. It was not an easy task and many girls were mentally and physically drained from having to make difficult adult decisions. However, all of the girls walked away with a genuine appreciation for their parents, and a solid understanding of the importance of making good financial decisions. The experience and field trip was a success and a great way to kick off the year for the PYWN group. Thank you for to Hillcrest Counselor Ms. Nikita Odom, for organizing this great learning experience. To find out more about Hillcrest High School PYWN program contact Ms. Odom at nodom@bhsd228.com.