Phoenix Academy Workshop Life Comes Fast – Preparing for Adulthood Welcome: This program is about helping you get ready for adulthood so you can thrive when life comes at you fast.

Video SummaryYou’ll see the story of a young woman who lost her parents, her car, and her home. Even though she kept working, she fell into homelessness and hopelessness. A judge stepped in and gave her a chance — housing, her car back, and a job. But he made it clear: this was an opportunity, not a gift. What she chose to do next would determine her future.

Core Message: Life can change overnight. The choices you make today will decide whether you struggle, survive, or thrive.

Purpose

This workshop will help you:

  • See why preparation for adulthood is important.
  • Understand how small decisions now affect your future.
  • Practice building habits that protect your future.

Learning Goals

By the end, you will:

  1. Recognize how fast life can change.
  2. Identify decisions that set you up for success — or hold you back.
  3. See why starting early is the only way to be ready.
  4. Commit to one action step this week that prepares you for adulthood.

What You’ll Do

    1. Watch the video (13 minutes).
    2. Answer reflection questions — choose one from each section, plus the two anchor questions.
    3. Join the group discussion — share your thoughts and hear from others.
    4. Action step — finish by committing to one step you will take this week for your future.

Answer the questions below honestly. Pick at least one from each section, and then complete both Anchor Questions. Afterward, join your group for the activities.

 

Reflection Questions

Section 1 – Understanding Her Story (Q1–4)

  1. What choices or circumstances pushed her into crisis?
  2. What signs do you think she may have ignored that could have warned her earlier?
  3. What role did resilience play in her survival, even before the judge stepped in?
  4. If you were her, what would you have done differently along the way?

Key Assignment: Q2 – “What signs do you think she may have ignored?”

Section 2 – Connecting to Real Life (Q5–8)

5. What would life look like for you if you suddenly had to live on your own in the next 6–12 months?

6. What responsibilities (money, health, housing, food, transportation) would you immediately struggle with?

7. How do the decisions you’re making now (school, friends, habits, money) set you up — or hold you back?

8. Can you think of someone your age whose life changed suddenly? What happened?

Key Assignment: Q5 – “What would life look like if you had to live on your own?”

Section 3 – Preparing for the Future (Q9–12)

9. Looking at her story, what long-term habits could she have built earlier that might have prevented the crisis?

10. If you had three months of support like she did, what would be your top priorities to set yourself up for success?

11. What’s one area of adulthood (money, housing, education, career, health) you feel least ready for — and what can you do about it today?

12. Why is starting early the only way to truly prepare for adulthood?

Key Assignment: Q10 – “If you had three months of support, how would you use it?”

Anchor Questions (Everyone Must Answer)

13. Mirror: What’s one decision or habit you’re living with now that could make or break your future?

14. Action Step: What’s one practical step you will take this week to prepare for adulthood?

Activities

  1. Cause & Effect Map
    • As a group, chart her life path:
      • Early challenges → Missed signs → Crisis → Judge’s intervention → Opportunity.
    • Then flip it: “What would her life map look like if she had prepared earlier?”
    • End by asking: “What does your current map look like right now?”
  2. Three-Month Survival Plan
    • In small groups, students design a 90-day plan as if they were given the same chance: housing, job, and cleared debt.
    • Each group presents their plan.
    • Facilitator compares plans to real-world needs (budgeting, networking, discipline).
  3. Mirror & Action Wall
    • On sticky notes or digital MTTHub forum posts, each student writes:
      • Mirror (Q13): “One decision I’m making now that shapes my future.”
      • Action (Q14): “One step I’ll take this week.”
    • Post them publicly (or digitally) as a commitment wall.

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