SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - A financial literacy fair designed to prepare local high school students for real-world financial responsibilities before they graduate. the fair, called 'Credit for Life' saw dozens of seniors from all Springfield High Schools. It helps to put students on a path to su ccess. Inside STCC, each senior was able to step into the shoes of their 25-year-old future selves. They were assigned a career path, complete with a starting salary, a credit score, and real-world life circumstances. During the fair, they visited 15 booths in which they had to make a series of financial decisions, including housing, insurance, savings, and student loans. Students told 22News they gained some valuable tools and lessons from this. "I didn't know that the taxes like so much money are being taken from us every single paycheck," says Terry Monnely, a student at Springfield International Charter School. "And then on top of that, the cost of living, housing, clothing, phone, streaming services. All right. So much money is getting taken every single month. And it's it's a really hard thing to balance." More than 70 volunteers came out to this fair to help guide students through their financial decisions and career choices. Some of the volunteers included bankers, accountants, and real estate professionals. Credit For Life Fairs has been making an impact on high school students across Massachusetts, for more than a decade. Local News Headlines ‘Credit for Life’ readies Springfield students for real life UMass Amherst employees protest for fair pay to help make ends meet Forum addresses transportation issues faced by residents in western Massachusetts NOAA reports March 2025 as third warmest on record WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com. ...read more read less