February 27, 2023 by Aditi Singh (’24)
An increasingly common complaint amongst high school students is that school fails to prepare them for the future; none of the four core classes–ELA, history, math, and science–teach adult skills such as handling money or filing taxes. However, Career and Financial Management, an elective class offered through the business department at Saratoga Springs High School, tackles these concerns.
Alexandria Blanchard, who teaches a section of Career and Financial Management, said, “Career and Financial Management is every component of career, college readiness, and finance that will affect you for the rest of your life.” She also emphasized how, although the course is offered through the business department, “it doesn’t pertain to just business.”
A full-year course, Career and Financial Management focuses on career planning for the first semester and finance for the second. The first part of career planning includes finding potential careers of interest through personality and skill assessments, a difficult decision for most young adults. “Students, most of them, have no idea, so really taking the time to come up with a list, a foundation, of what we’re interested in is huge,” said Blanchard, explaining how career discovery benefits her students.
The class also covers the steps one should take toward their desired career, such as college preparation. “We talk about student loans, how to get in, the application process, financial aid,” said Blanchard, “but that’s not everybody’s pathway.” Though college preparation is heavily emphasized, alternatives are also covered in the course. “We talk about whether you join the military, starting a job off the bat, getting internships, taking a gap year,” said Blanchard. She believes that this variety helps students by, “making sure that students know if plan A doesn’t work, there’s always a plan B, and if plan B doesn’t work, there’s always a plan C.”
“The second half of the year we focus primarily on finance, and when I say finance, I mean everything to do with taxes, insurance, budgeting, investing, saving, identity theft, credit,” said Blanchard. She emphasized the importance of these skills when she said, “no matter how boring or tedious they are, you’re going to have to do them.” In the second semester, these life skills are taught to students, preparing them for the real world and making their own financial decisions.
Blanchard is not the only one who recognizes the importance of Career and Financial Management. Sofia Laurer, a student who has taken the course, said, “I have gotten a lot out of Career and Financial Management.” She went on to say how “you learn about what life support you need in the future, and investing in stocks which I thought was cool.” Many students share Laurer’s view, as it “prepares you financially for the future.”
“They [students] never ever at the end of the year regret taking the course, they know they’re walking out of the classroom knowing [how] to set themselves up. That class is a foundation for success,” said Blanchard, reinforcing the importance of Career and Financial Management. Open to students in 10th though 12th grade, the course is beneficial for everyone, and perfect for those concerned about life after high school. For those searching for a funnel to begin their preparation for a successful future, look no further than Career and Financial Management.