Local students got a taste of reality Wednesday morning with a walkthrough of simulations of adult life.

Meridian Mutual Federal Credit Union invited nearly 500 Lauderdale County students to MCC’s Workforce Development Center for their annual reality fair.

“Our mission is to show kids how life goes when they go out into the world,” said Justin Branstetter, the president of Meridian Mutual Credit Union. “Many children don’t understand what it takes to live as an adult, so this gives them an opportunity to get a taste of that and a chance for us to better prepare them for what’s to come.”

The teens pretended to be the sole financial supporter of their households, allowing them to make important decisions and learn the difference between a want and a need.

Each student was assigned a family scenario, a career, and a salary. Participants visited different booths, where they made financial decisions about housing, transportation, groceries, utilities, and other areas.

The purpose of the fair was to give students the tools for managing money, paying bills, and selecting a career to compensate for their lifestyle, which Branstetter said is the ultimate tool.

“Students in the past have loved this event, and they always seem to pay attention to the little details that affect adulthood,” he said. “We hope that kids will continue to come here and get something out of it.”

The fair was helpful for Marquavious Sillimon, an eighth grader at Northeast Lauderdale Middle School.

“This was a great opportunity, and I’m glad our school brought us here,” Sillimon said. “It truly gave us the view of how life will be when we’re grown.”

“I’m hoping to learn how to manage my money better because usually I just spend it, but hopefully being here will show me how to spend my money and learn how to budget,” Sillimon added.