Jenny Rolfe-Wallace, Director, Sprout Education Group

“My earliest memories are framed by growing up in a corner store in the 1970s.

My parents worked long hours. As the youngest child in an era of limited childcare, I was at my mother’s feet as she served customers, stocked shelves, and updated price tags.

I learned early that an Icy Pole cost 7 cents, a packet of Smith’s Crisps was 25 cents, and 20 cents could buy a bag of lollies too big for my toddler hands.

My parents sold the store after I started school, using the proceeds to buy a block of land where they built the modest home they shared until my father’s death in 1997.

By then in his 50s, despite being a hardworking, quick learner with business acumen, my dad struggled to find employment, so money was always tight.

When we went grocery shopping, my mother would unpack the items onto our dining table. My job was to mark the receipt as she read out each purchase and its price. I learnt about stretching a limited budget, and prioritising needs over wants.

Encouraged by my parents, I studied commerce at school; my teachers inspired me to study HSC Economics and dream about what I could achieve. I was the first in my family to go to university, prompted by my talent for numbers and fascination with financial behaviour to study Accountancy and Economics, and then Education, followed by Law and Financial Planning while working as a secondary teacher.

Throughout my career, I’ve helped people change how they think and feel about money.

We each make individual choices that can profoundly shape our lives, but there are systemic issues too. Research indicates around one in six Australian children live in poverty, and if a child grows up in poverty, they are significantly more likely to experience poverty as an adult.

Education helped me break the cycle, but poverty isn’t just about personal choices. Limited access to quality education, unstable housing, low parental income, and lack of employment opportunities contribute to intergenerational poverty. 

The phrase "we can't budget our way out of poverty" highlights the limitations of personal financial management in the face of systemic economic inequalities.

A core part of my work is now advocating for a fairer, more equitable environment where everyone can thrive. By supporting the most vulnerable, we create a stronger, healthier, more prosperous community. That, to me, reflects true wealth.”