A Real-life Magnificent — Rachel Shropa's financial accomplishments are nothing short of heroic

The next time a Hollywood producer is looking for inspiration for a new superhero, he or she should visit Rachel Shropa. The Thrivent Financial for Lutherans member has received a degree in mechanical engineering from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland (where she also was a four-year letter winner in volleyball), has attended flight school in Pensacola, Florida, and was one of the first female Navy aviators to learn to fly the F/A-18 Super Hornet naval aviation jet. After serving a three-year fleet tour, she's now a Navy flight instructor in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Next, Shropa intends to pursue admission to medical school and become a doctor. Not a shabby list of accomplishments for a 27-year-old.

But it's Shropa's magnificent financial success that amazes Thrivent Financial associate Gayle Pougher. Shropa has already accumulated more than $100,000 in retirement savings through disciplined investing and smart spending. "She's very responsible," Pougher says. "She knows where she wants to go, and she takes action."

The aviator has several key savings vehicles with Thrivent Financial—including a Roth IRA, a Variable Universal Life Insurance policy and annuities—that are helping her meet her goals. She's living "well below her means," adds Pougher, and although Shropa isn't yet married, she's even started to save for the education of the children she would like to have someday.

Her fiscal responsibility was inspired when her parents divorced shortly after she graduated from high school. "Seeing my parents' financial situation really opened up my eyes. I thought about my life and where I wanted to go."

She's candid about the financial philosophy that guides her today: "I want to make my money work for me. I save my money, because otherwise I'll buy shoes. Although," she adds with a laugh, "I buy a lot of shoes anyway."

—Heidi Pearson

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