Man mentioned by President Obama during visit: ‘It was awesome'

OAKDALE, Pa. — Channel 11 spoke with a man who got a shout-out from President Barack Obama during the president's Pittsburgh-area visit Wednesday.
 
When Tim Wright woke up Wednesday morning, he didn't know that in just a few hours the president would call him by name in front of a national audience.
 
"It was awesome.  It was the first time I ever met a president.  It was cool. He was cool," said Wright.
 
Wright was one of the people at CCAC West Hills who showed the president the Mechatronics Center.
 
President Obama highlighted Wright and the Mechatronics program when he announced millions of dollars in grants for community colleges that help students gain job-ready skills.
 
The president told the crowd Wright's story.
 
"Tim worked as a shift laborer for 13 years, and he always had his eye on moving into industrial maintenance," said the president.
 
"He was proud of my story with how I was going to school, taking courses and working at the same time," said Wright.
 
Wright graduated and got the promotion he wanted at Eastman Chemical Company.
 
"This program here actually works.  You got great instructors around you, and like I said, I'd recommend this program to anyone," Wright said.
 
This 46-year-old Clairton native is proud of what he's achieved, and the shout-out from the president only makes him smile bigger.
 
"My guys at work will be teasing me about it but it's all good," said Wright.

WPXI