LAURINBURG — It was hard for Scotland High School sophomore Jhamari Smith to smile any bigger after it was announced Thursday afternoon that he had won a 2017 Mitsubishi Mirage.
Smith was among the students at Scotland High with good grades and no absences that were given tickets to participate in the car giveaway sponsored by Scotland Motors. Students got a bonus ticket if they were on time to class.
“I was like wait … did they really call my name,” said Smith, who just got his driving permit. “It’s so exciting I just can’t believe it.”
He wasn’t the only one excited about the small grey sedan. His older brother, Khalil Smith jumped out of the stands and ran down to celebrate with his brother.
Smith immediately called his grandmother to share the good news, but ended up handing the cellphone to Cory Satterfield, assistant superintendent of human resources and athletics, to prove that the call was no prank.
“I was praying that someone who deserved it would win, and he truly deserves it,” said Nicole Monroe, a nurse for the school. “I’m so excited and happy for him.”
This is the second time that the Laurinburg dealership has given a car away in a raffle to a student at Scotland. Lee Howell, owner of Scotland Motors, said he hopes the giveaway is something that makes students want to work hard.
“We were celebrating our 50th year and we wanted to do something for the community so we decided to do the giveaway as to say thank you to the community for supporting us,” Howell said. “It’s nice to be able to give a young person who has good grades and good attendance a reward that they can really use and enjoy.”
