Spring Valley High School began their ROTC Cadet of the Month incentive back in November 2022, when the school honored Lt. Col. Rick Mantei for Veterans Day. As a result of this recognition, Major Perry approached the Cola Wealth firm with an inspiring proposal: Cadets who achieve the standard of excellence and are awarded the Cadet of the Month title would receive a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fly in a vintage aircraft with either Rick Mantei or John Buster Wilcox, both retired fighter pilots of the US Air Force.
The first cadet to receive this outstanding award was Sarah Hedley, who will be graduating later this year. Sarah plans to attend a college in the northeast, at potentially Pittsburg or Harvard, although she has not yet decided on her degree.
As part of her award, Sarah had the privilege of flying in a PT-26 Roth Fairchild with John Buster Wilcox. Sarah claims the experience to be beyond amazing, having her at a loss for words. In addition to Sarahs flight, her father Terry, a retired F-16 USAF Pilot who flew with Wilcox at McIntire, also had the opportunity to take flight in the vintage aircraft.
Sarah and her father shared matching smiles as they experienced this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and stepped down off the wing of the PT-26 aircraft.
Cola Wealth Advisors’ recognition of the ROTC’s excellence exemplifies their commitment to honoring deserving individuals and their contributions to society. The firm acknowledges the sacrifice and dedication of the military community and seeks to give back in meaningful ways.
Rick Mantei is the owner and founder of Cola Wealth Advisors. Securities and advisory services offered through Centaurus Financial, Inc., a member of FINRA and SIPC and a Registered Investment Advisor. Cola Wealth Advisors and Centaurus Financial, Inc. are not affiliated. With the help of Kathy Nishnic, Atul Makharia, Lisa Mantei, Matt Hawkins and Cindy Chiellini, the Cola Wealth team assists more than two thousand families in achieving their financial goals. For more information, please visit https://www.colawealth.com/.
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