WB_120618
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
wilmettebeacon.com NEWS<br />
the wilmette beacon | December 6, 2018 | 15<br />
Wilmette’s Valley Lodge Tavern shows support of veterans at Code Platoon event<br />
Alexa Burnell<br />
Freelance Reporter<br />
Wilmette’s Valley Lodge<br />
Tavern makes it their mission<br />
to give back to the<br />
world around them on a<br />
regular basis. So on Nov.<br />
14, with the recent Veterans<br />
Day holiday in mind,<br />
they invited Rod Levy, of<br />
Wilmette, to talk to folks<br />
about Code Platoon, the<br />
organization he founded<br />
to help veterans transition<br />
into the workforce.<br />
While Levy has never<br />
served, he explained that<br />
his devotion to veterans<br />
stems from his own past,<br />
immigrating to the United<br />
States from Chile, when he<br />
was 7.<br />
“I have a deep appreciation<br />
for those who give of<br />
themselves to keep others<br />
safe; I couldn’t think of a<br />
more deserving population<br />
to help,” Levy said. “I<br />
don’t have a background in<br />
coding myself, but I have<br />
had good fortune and success<br />
in my own life, leading<br />
to a desire to channel<br />
my energy into doing good<br />
for others.”<br />
Code Platoon is located<br />
in downtown Chicago and<br />
offers three, 14-week sessions<br />
per year. The bootcamp<br />
style program is<br />
demanding; students often<br />
work up to 60 hours a<br />
week to master the information.<br />
Levy said that the<br />
hard work and devotion is<br />
the recipe for success at<br />
Code Platoon.<br />
“Before a person can<br />
even be accepted into the<br />
Code Platoon, they must<br />
go through a demanding<br />
application process.<br />
What we are looking for is<br />
someone who truly wants<br />
to master the program and<br />
go on to have a successful<br />
career,” Levy said. “We<br />
need to see they are serious,<br />
very serious about<br />
joining code platoon. I’m<br />
not concerned about their<br />
educational or career<br />
background. From what<br />
I’ve seen, the ones who<br />
succeed aren’t necessarily<br />
ones who have experience,<br />
but ones who have a high<br />
degree of grit, aptitude and<br />
interest.”<br />
Another reason the application<br />
process alone is<br />
so demanding is that each<br />
veteran who is accepted is<br />
granted a $10,000 scholarship<br />
from Code Platoon,<br />
offsetting the $13,000 tuition<br />
fee. In addition, students<br />
can rely on their GI<br />
bill benefits to help offset<br />
the remainder of the cost.<br />
Along with opening the<br />
program to serious veterans,<br />
Levy has extended the<br />
opportunity to spouses as<br />
well.<br />
“Spouses are an integral<br />
part of a veteran’s success<br />
in integrating back<br />
into society. They are the<br />
bedrock, ensuring stability<br />
while many Veterans<br />
need time to process their<br />
return home mentally,<br />
physically and emotionally.<br />
Giving a spouse the<br />
opportunity to gain solid<br />
credentials to obtain a<br />
good -paying job, will<br />
only help the entire family<br />
system,” Levy said.<br />
As the night went on,<br />
veteran Bruce Gulley, of<br />
Evanston, who served in<br />
Desert Storm, came over<br />
to shake Levy’s hand and<br />
take information back to<br />
his veteran support group.<br />
“Many of the men I<br />
know are interested in<br />
technology and this could<br />
be just the right program<br />
Veteran Burce Gulley (left), of Evanston, talks to<br />
Rod Levy, of Wilmette, founder of Code Platoon, and<br />
Heather Oliver, marketing and events coordinator of<br />
Valley Lodge Tavern in Wilmette. Alexa Burnell/22nd<br />
Century Media<br />
for them,” Gulley said.<br />
Valley Lodge also donated<br />
10 percent of all proceeds<br />
from purchase made<br />
at the event to Code Platoon,<br />
supporting and promoting<br />
a cause that could<br />
help so many.<br />
For more information<br />
on Code Platoon, email<br />
Levy at rod@codeplatoon.org<br />
or visit his website<br />
at www.codeplatoon.<br />
org.<br />
TO DO:<br />
declutter<br />
paint walls<br />
call Marina<br />
sell home<br />
THINKING OF<br />
buying<br />
OR<br />
selling<br />
IN SPRING?<br />
IT MAY BE THE HOLIDAY SEASON, BUT NOW IS THE<br />
BEST TIME TO PREPARE FOR THE SPRING MARKET<br />
Did you know that the spring market starts in early February?<br />
Did you know that historically, more homes go under contract in February through June than at<br />
any other time of the year?<br />
For sellers making your home “show ready” often takes longer than you anticipate so it is important<br />
to have a plan of action. Listing your home early in the spring market will net the best results.<br />
As a buyer, the competition in the spring for the right home can be fierce. It is essential to be<br />
prepared with knowledge of the current market and to secure your financing early so that your<br />
offer is the “accepted offer” on your dream home.<br />
Contact me for a free comparative market analysis of your home and advice on how to make your<br />
house stand out in the market. If you are interested in purchasing, I will provide expert guidance<br />
through each and every step of the home buying process to secure the home of your dreams.<br />
MOBILE 847.401.1048<br />
MarinaBurman@atproperties.com
Change language