84 Lumber and NFL Great Jerome Bettis Recognize High School Seniors Committing to Skilled Trades during SkillsUSA National Signing Day

10 students surprised with full ride technical school scholarships from 84 Lumber.

In celebration of the next generation of trade workers, 84 Lumber hosted 10 high school seniors for a SkillsUSA National Signing Day event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania yesterday. In a style similar to National Signing Day events for high-school athletes, the students committed to careers in the skilled trades and signed “letters of intent” for a job offer, apprenticeship or advanced technical training. Following the signing, 84 Lumber President Maggie Hardy Knox surprised all 10 students with scholarships, totaling $50,000, towards the trade school of their choosing.

The 10 students at the 84 Lumber sponsored event, along with their families and teachers, represented thousands of students across the country committing to the skilled trades through SkillsUSA this year. At a time when the residential housing sector is booming, and businesses continue to expand, 84 Lumber shines a much-needed public spotlight on students pursuing careers in the skilled trades.

“As a 65-year-old building materials company, we know firsthand that young people can thrive and have incredible, lifelong success through the skilled trades,” said Hardy Knox. “We are proud to be a sponsor of SkillsUSA, and we are even more proud of the students we’ve been able to get to know through this event.”

Bringing even more excitement to the event, former Pittsburgh Steeler Jerome “The Bus” Bettis emceed and cheered on the students as they signed. As a Pro Football Hall of Famer and one of the best all-time running backs in NFL history, Bettis has attended a few National Signing Day events of his own.

“Today is one of the most important Signing Days I have attended,” said Bettis. “I remember my own National Signing Day, and what it meant to me, my family, coaches and mentors. My own father was chief electrical inspector for the city of Detroit for 35 years, so it’s very special to be here celebrating the talents and career choices of these young people.”

The 10 scholarships from 84 Lumber were given to recipients selected by SkillsUSA. The scholarship recipients are:

• Julianna Zambrano, Center of Applied Technology North, Md.  
• Trevor Philpot, Center of Applied Technology North, Md.  
• Nyssa Lewis, Lynn Vocational Technical Institute, Mass. 
• Brian Lopez Mejia, Lynn Vocational Technical Institute, Mass. 
• Justin Yearwood, Bethlehem Area Vocational Technical School, Pa. 
• Nathan DeBellis, Career Institute of Technology, Pa. 
• Blade Witt, Fayette County Career and Technical Institute, Pa. 
• Kayla Gomez, Fayette County Career and Technical Institute, Pa. 
• Gerson Castro-Rivera, Monroe Career and Technical Institute, Pa. 
• Luke Overholt, Upper Bucks County Technical School, Pa. 

“84 Lumber went all out in support of SkillsUSA and these students,” said SkillsUSA Executive Director Chelle Travis. “The students that attended 84 Lumber’s event represented hundreds of thousands of trade workers across the country. Without these trade workers – from builders to welders to plumbers and so many more – America wouldn’t be able to function. That’s why, we are so thankful for our partners and sponsors that bring these important career paths to the limelight.”

84 Lumber is the nation’s largest privately held supplier of building materials, manufactured components, and industry-leading services for single- and multi-family residences and commercial buildings. With housing starts at record highs, and interest rates at record lows, the company is busier than ever and is looking to hire as many as 3,000 roles across the country throughout the rest of 2021. Now is the time to explore career opportunities in the building and construction industry.

For information about 84 Lumber, visit www.84Lumber.com, and to apply to join their team, visit www.84Lumber.com/careers.

About 84 Lumber
Founded in 1956 and headquartered in Eighty Four, Pennsylvania, 84 Lumber Company is the nation’s largest privately held supplier of building materials, manufactured components and industry-leading services for single- and multi-family residences and commercial buildings. The company operates nearly 250 stores, component manufacturing plants, custom door shops, custom millwork shops and engineered wood product centers in more than 30 states. 84 Lumber also offers turnkey installation services for a variety of products, including framing, insulation, siding, windows, roofing, decking and drywall. A certified national women’s business enterprise owned by Maggie Hardy Knox, 84 Lumber was named by Forbes as one of America’s Largest Private Companies in 2018 and 2020, and one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2019. For more information, visit 84lumber.com or join us at Facebook.com/84lumber and linkedin.com/company/84-lumber.

About SkillsUSA
SkillsUSA is a nonprofit partnership of education and industry founded in 1965 to strengthen the nation’s skilled workforce. Driven by employer demand, SkillsUSA helps students develop necessary personal and workplace skills along with technical skills grounded in academics. This SkillsUSA Framework empowers every student to succeed at work and in life, while helping to close the skills gap in which millions of positions go unfilled. Through SkillsUSA’s championships program and curricula, employers have ensured schools are teaching relevant technical skills, and with SkillsUSA’s new credentialing process, they can now assess how ready potential employees are for the job. SkillsUSA has more than 372,000 annual members nationwide in high schools, middle schools and colleges, covering over 130 trade, technical and skilled service occupations, and is recognized by the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor as integral to career and technical education. With the addition of alumni, membership last year was 434,141. SkillsUSA receives in-kind and financial support from more than 650 national partners and has served more than 13.6 million members since 1965. For more information: www.skillsusa.org.