Family Spends Kid’s College Savings on Vacation

Summary

The Johnson family from Syracuse used their daughter Adelyn's college savings for a vacation to Orlando, prioritizing a memorable experience over future educational expenses.

Abstract

Chris and Jen Johnson decided to spend their daughter Adelyn's first-semester college tuition on a family trip to Orlando, visiting various theme parks, including Disney World. Despite the significant cost, equivalent to a term's worth of college expenses, the family justified the decision based on Adelyn's excellent sixth-grade performance and their hope for future scholarships. The trip included experiences like building a droid at Droid Depot and enjoying rides such as Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and Big Mountain Thunder Railroad. Adelyn, who aspires to study marine biology, sees the vacation as a trade-off for potentially limiting her college options to community colleges.

Opinions

Adelyn values the experiences gained from the vacation, considering it a worthwhile use of her college savings.
The Johnsons are optimistic about Adelyn's academic future, expecting her to secure a substantial scholarship based on her current grades.
Mr. Johnson, having been a first-generation college student who worked through school, seems to appreciate the value of education but also values family experiences.
Adelyn's aspirations to major in marine biology and her interest in a turtle conservation internship suggest she finds educational value in experiential learning.
The family collectively ranks their vacation experiences, indicating a shared belief in the importance of family time and memorable experiences over immediate financial savings for education.

It was totally worth it…or was it?

Syracuse couple Chris and Jen Johnson spent their daughter Adelyn’s first semester of college tuition on a five-day, family vacation to Orlando last week.

“I really wanted to experience the magic and legacy of innovator and animation pioneer Walt Disney.” said Adelyn, age twelve, while scrolling through thirty selfies with Epcot’s Spaceship Earth.

For the price of four textbooks and a term of student activities fees, the family was able to build a droid at Droid Depot in Star War’s Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios.

“Adelyn’s grades have been great in sixth grade, “expressed Ms. Johnson. “She just got an A on her Mesopotamia diorama. With grades like this, we are banking on her to get a really big college scholarship. Like, really banking.”

The family agreed that Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin was their top-ranked attraction, followed by Big Mountain Thunder Railroad. “We were overall really happy with the trip,” said Mr. Johnson, a first-generation college student who worked his way through school with a job at McDonald’s.

Adelyn has her heart set on going to Sea World next year. She plans to major in marine biology in college and intern with a turtle conservation nonprofit. “Mom says we can go,” Adelyn said. “But, if we do, I’ll only be able to apply to community colleges.”

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