By Cheryl Patrick Leader Staff Writer
KNOX — Raymond Norem was dressed in his Sunday best as he sat fidgeting on a bleacher in the Weinberg Gymnasium at Knox Middle School (KMS) on Friday — Raymond was excited because it was almost his turn to participate in this year’s Reality Store-Career Day event.
“I can’t wait to get started. I’ve been waiting all day and my feet can’t stop moving,” Raymond said.
Knox Middle School is the host for this annual program, which has approximately 450 Starke County eighth grade students participating.

Exactly what is Reality Store? According to KMS Counselor Chris Ross. it is an opportunity for students to get a glimpse of life in the real world.
“Reality Store is a program that requires students to pretend that they are 24 and project their profession. The students’ marital status and number of children are based on the ‘luck of the draw,’” Ross said.
Once students choose their professions, they get an opportunity to see how much bang they can get for their buck.  
“Based on the profession selected, the students are given a month’s “paycheck” and required to shop the Reality Store for all of their needs such as housing, phone, groceries, daycare, student loan repayment programs, cars, insurance, etc.,” Ross said.
Raymond received a wife and three children in the instant family lottery. And while he thought times might be tough, he was satisfied with the vocation he had chosen for himself, school bus driver.
“I chose my profession because I love kids — they’re the life of the party, I believe,” Raymond said.
For Raymond, the future is all about doing something he enjoys. If that means corners will need to be cut, Raymond is all for it.
“I’m married and have three kids so it might get kind of hard, but I’ll manage — I’m really good with numbers,” Raymond said.
“My kids won’t be getting all that high tech stuff though — they’ll just have to wait for things like that. I chose the lower income job because I love being around kids. They are fun and funny. Besides, my kids won’t need all that hi-tech stuff,” he added.
Teaching students about the high cost of living and choosing careers that will meet their needs is what Reality Store is all about.
“Many of us reached adulthood without knowing what it would really cost to support ourselves and our families in the lifestyle we want... or possibly not even knowing that we might be called upon to provide that financial support by ourselves,” Ross said.
“The Reality Store is designed to enlighten children to the realities of living expenses and personal finances; we feel the program is quite successful,” he said.
Driving home the reality of life in the real word had one eighth grade student ready to change careers before she had made it half way through the exercise.
“It’s going to cost me $544 a month just for utilities. I’ve only been to three stations so I’m gonna run out of money fast,” Chelsea Combs said.
“And I’m a vet assistant. I make $2,750 a month — I think I’m gonna have to change my career to a veterinarian to make ends meet,” she said.
When students ran out of money, First Source Bank Loan Officer Shannon Kesvormas had to play the bad guy.
“I’m teaching the kids how to keep a check register and the cost of overdraft checks. When the kids run out of money and they come back to us, we kind of get to be the ‘Big Bad Wolf.’ We ask how they are going to pay a loan, if they don’t have any money — we then recommend that they return to school or get a higher paying job,” Kesvormas said.
Ross said he hoped this exercise would teach students about the importance of planning.
“Students need to learn that planning is key when picking a career and deciding what you want out of life,” he said.
Four area schools participated in this year’s Reality Store event: Culver, Knox, North Judson-San Pierre and Oregon-Davis. And approximately 60 area businesses volunteered their knowledge and expertise which gave students an idea of real-time cost for goods and services.