Lower Burrell teen wins car at Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center

When Bryce Hrivnak graduates from Burrell High School next week, he’ll have a high school diploma and a job lined up as a general contractor with Scott Martin Homes.

Oh, and don’t forget the 2011 Ford Escape he won Wednesday at Northern Westmoreland Career and Technology Center in New Kensington.

“I was very surprised,” said Hrivnak, 17, of Lower Burrell. “I didn’t even know what to think.”

Hrivnak and fellow student Ethan Rains of New Kensington were in the running for the car after accumulating “tickets” throughout the year, earned from things like perfect attendance, making the honor roll, passing trade industry credentials and certifications, and showing respect and acts of kindness during the school day, said technology center Director Jason Hicks.

“They were both very well-deserving students,” said Principal Tom Shea.

The vehicle was donated by Shults Ford, Hicks said. API (Autobody Products Inc.) donated paint products and it was restored by the center’s students in the autobody and collision repair, and auto mechanics technology courses, Hicks said.

Hicks plans to do the giveaway every year, in an effort to encourage underclassmen.

“By working together, students are able to produce a high-quality final product while gaining valuable hands-on experience,” Hicks said. “It’s yet another real-world opportunity that not only enhances their technical skills but also contributes positively to our school culture.”

In front of their peers Wednesday, Rains and Hrivnak played a spin-off of The Price is Right’s Plinko, where Hrivnak obtained a higher score. Then, they stuck their hands in goo to pull out coins — with the hope of grabbing a silver dollar.

Hrivnak pulled that coin. Winning both those games, he had the first pick of two sets of keys, hopped into the car’s driver seat and then came the moment of truth: he picked the correct set and the engine started.

“Just hearing that, I looked out and I was like, ‘holy crap,’” Hrivnak said. “I looked out and saw everyone cheering. I thought it was just me.”

Going through the center’s Construction Trades program has been rewarding, Hrivnak said. It has connected him to employers in the industry, and they’ve been able to work on jobs, like building a retaining wall at Sylvan Park Pool in Harrison.

Rains, 18, and a welding student, didn’t walk away empty-handed: he won a 65-inch Samsung TV.

“The TV’s nice,” Rains said. “It’ll be a nicer TV than what I have now. It would have been nice to have won the car.”

Rains plans to join the Steamfitters union after graduation from Valley High School. He said his experience and teachers at the center gave him a leg-up on other students when it comes to finding a future career.

“It’s given me a lot of opportunities, and more chances to grow,” Rains said.