Photo by John Underwood
Recent Purdue graduate Nicholas Lertola (CSR '15), who as an undergraduate was the first recipient of the Robert Wright Legacy Fund Scholarship, is a prime example of why it's important to support and encourage students interested in financial planning careers.
Lertola, a financial counseling and planning alumnus from Elkhart, Indiana, earned Dean's List and semester honors during his time as a student. He also served in leadership positions in the Purdue Collegiate Financial Planners Club, participated in a study abroad internship in Australia and served the community through Habitat for Humanity. He is planning to focus his career on financial planning.
The Robert Wright Legacy Fund was established to honor and recognize the tremendous impact Bob Wright had on so many people, especially his clients and financial advisors. Wright, who was president of Wright and Company, a financial planning company in Lafayette, believed very passionately in lifelong learning.
Wright participated in and spoke to numerous professional organizations. He also was the catalyst of several professional study groups and a co-founder of the Pinnacle Study Group Inc., which he continued to serve until his death in October 2013.
"From what I know, Bob Wright was a remarkable man who had significant influence on many people in the industry as well as having a prominent impact on the industry itself," Lertola says. "He was the kind of person who could inspire young minds and serve as a role model."
