St. Thomas' School had the privilege of hosting an enriching and deeply engaging interactive session on life skills with Ms. Monika Halan, a renowned financial educator, author, and journalist, widely respected for her work in simplifying money matters for individuals and families.
The session proved to be a tremendous success, not only for its content but also for the genuine connection Ms. Halan formed with the students. She described St. Thomas' as a "lived school"- a 95 year old institution where history and culture are visibly alive, an experience she particularly enjoyed while walking through the school's timeline capsule.
Students from Classes X and XII participated enthusiastically, asking perceptive and thoughtprovoking questions on a wide range of topics such as - Is Artificial Intelligence a threat to human thinking and jobs, what is the stock market, what is the best and simplest way to start understanding about money.
Ms. Halan responded with remarkable clarity and warmth, breaking down complex concepts into simple, relatable ideas suited to the students' level of understanding. While addressing concerns around AI, she shared a powerful perspective-that thinking can never be outsourced. She explained that while AI is machinedriven, humans are guided by imagination, intuition, creativity, consciousness, and thought, which remain unique human strengths.
Ms. Halan also emphasized the importance of daily introspection, suggesting that spending just ten quiet minutes each day reflecting calmly on one's experiences-without active thinking-can build clarity, selfawareness, and better decisionmaking skills over time. This message of selfreflection resonated deeply with both students and teachers.
The session was a meaningful step in equipping students with essential life skills around money, decisionmaking, and selfawareness-leaving a lasting impression on all who attended.