Students in the Class of 2015 and 2016 are now required to take the course Economics and Personal Finance in order to graduate.

“I think that it is really important that students take this class,” Economics and Personal Finance teacher Helen Silberminz said. “Yes students will have less room for other electives, but they will learn that they need to start saving their money now, so they will encounter less problems within the future.”

Out of the 22 credits that are required for the standard diploma, this is the first year Economics and Personal Finance is now one of those mandatory credits. Now, AHS students have the option of taking the course in school or through the FCPS online campus.

“I taught finance before, and so now for this year the economics aspect is being incorporated into the class, so it has become a smooth transition for accommodating this mandatory class,” Economics and Personal Finance teacher Monica Bentley said.

“I did have to stop teaching other classes to be able to teach this class, but that happens every year, where you stop teaching some classes and start teaching others,” Silberminz said.

Freshmen and sophomores must now be able to incorporate Economics and Personal Finance into their schedule before they graduate.

“It is going to be difficult for me to take this class,” freshman Maddy Coelho said. “I love all my electives and I just don’t want to give them up.”

The purpose of this class is to teach students how the economy functions and about how to utilize their own human capital in order to become active citizens within the economy.

“I believe this class became mandatory because of the economic crisis this country is currently experiencing,” Bentley said. “Students are going to know how to manage their finances and budget wisely, so they will be prepared for the future when they are off on their own.”