Sunday, May 5, 2024
THE WALK OF SUSPENSE: The 10 lucky students whose names were drawn for a chance to win the 2020 Nissan Versa approach the car, eager to see if they would be the ones to choose the winning key.
THE LUCKY ONE: Antonio Escatel, a 17-year-old junior at Granbury High School, was named the lucky winner of the 2020 Nissan Versa, as his peers and classmates cheered him on.
Determination and hard work paid off for one lucky student, Antonio Escatel, whose perfect attendance won him a 2020 Nissan Versa during the Granbury High School senior pep rally last Friday.
Escatel, a 17-year-old junior at GHS, was one of 10 students whose ticket number was randomly selected in a drawing on May 20, to determine who would win the car donated by Granbury Nissan.
Throughout the 2021-22 school year, students received tickets for having perfect attendance. One ticket was awarded to a student each six-week grading period who had perfect attendance. Students also received five extra tickets for having perfect attendance for the whole semester and 10 extra tickets for having perfect attendance for the entire school year.
Every ticket earned from perfect attendance was put into a drawing. After 10 names were drawn, each student was instructed to choose a key — but only one key would start the car.
Tension was high as one by one, each of the 10 students sat in the car, hit the brake and touched the start button, all hoping that they had the lucky key.
When the car started with Escatel in the driver’s seat, applause erupted and the 17-year-old called his mom on the phone to tell her the good news, all the while shaking with the excitement.
“This year I've only missed like seven days,” he said. “It's crazy. I didn't expect to win this, but I gotta work on my license now.”
Granbury Nissan and Pinnacle Bank teamed up with Strive to Drive TX in an all-out effort to educate students in Granbury ISD and their parents on the importance of being in class, as attendance has a direct effect on academic performance. According to data from the Bureau of Educational Research in Illinois, consistent school attendance is directly linked to positive behavior, increased participation in extracurricular activities, higher grades and higher overall educational outcomes.
“We’re trying to get the kids to show up to school as often as possible,” said Sharbel Lattouf, owner of Granbury Nissan and co-owner of Fort Worth Brothers Automotive along with Chris Hamud, Tony Hamud, Mike Hamud and Joe Hamud. “They can see that hard work does pay off.”
Lattouf said that Escatel currently works in the shop program at Granbury High School and after he gets his driver’s license, he will come work for Lattouf this summer.
“The only charities we like to be involved in are the children’s charities,” Lattouf said. “We want to make a change. We want to help the up-and-coming future — the ones that are going to be running this country. We couldn’t have hoped for the car to go to a better family, so it’s really hit home."
The car giveaway has taken place at GHS for the past four years and Lattouf said Granbury Nissan will continue to participate in the program for many more years to come.
He added, “It’s all about the kids.”
