Meet Toni Rupe, President at Junior Achievement of Lincoln (lincoln.ja.org).
Tell us a little about your business. – Junior Achievement is a nonprofit organization that’s purpose is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. I break that down even further to say, we utilize community partners to provide real world examples to students on how to navigate life during the various stages from buying a home, starting an investment portfolio, landing your first job, filing your first tax return and pretty much every other thing we encounter as we age.
How did you get started in the business? – I was a JA kid growing up in the Kansas City Metropolitan area – I can remember going to Exchange City and learning how to write a check and how to manage my paycheck. There were many times in my life where I reflected upon the financial literacy education I received and often wished someone sat me down to teach me how to be an adult. I want to help change the narrative of financial literacy so it’s not such a scary, number focused term, financial literacy truly is life skills and topics that we will all have to learn sooner or later. Why not learn it now while are brains are in the habit of learning and developing?
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced professionally? – For me, readjusting after COVID was extremely hard. I was ready for a change and ultimately decided to move to Junior Achievement as their Vice President of Operations. It was difficult to leave some of my projects that I had poured my heart and soul into but ultimately, I knew I was made for more.
What has been your most important achievement professionally? – Becoming the President at Junior Achievement. It was never something I had considered but when the opportunity to apply came up, I felt like I had to apply. Eight months later, I am so thankful I believed in myself and hired an amazing team to elevate our work.
Tell us a little about your family. – My husband, Adam and I, have been married for eight years and have two wild boys, Atlas and Archer. They are high energy, hilarious and incredibly bright. We live in Ceresco and love family golf cart rides and attending community events.
What do you see as one of the biggest turning points in your life? – After living in Kansas for 22 years, the decision to move to Lincoln was the perfect opportunity for me to learn who I am without the influence or reminder of who I thought I was. It was during this time that I learned what was important to me and that it’s ok to unlearn things from your past that no longer serve you.
What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? – I love family golf cart rides around Ceresco that take forever because we run into friends and neighbors. I also love to laugh more than anything in the world so finding moments to create joy and laughter with friends, family, and strangers fills my bucket.
Who inspires you? – My kids. I am always thinking about how I can make them proud, give them a life with diverse experiences, great learning opportunities and a fair shot at being amazing citizens. I often think about how creative, intuitive and open minded they are at their young ages and use that as a catalyst to free my brain from any constraints so I can think freely and creatively.
What is your favorite local Lincoln restaurant? – Piedmont Bistro – I love to go there with family and friends! My go to order is a glass of Clean Slate Riesling and the Spinach Gouda Dip!
If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – (402) 613-4499; trupe@jalincoln.org; Lincoln.ja.org.