Armstrong County Jail inmate earns degree after putting "whole heart into the program"
Wednesday was a special graduation day for one student, though it took place in an unexpected place.
Drew Bittner got his high school diploma while incarcerated at the Armstrong County Jail.
"I got mixed into drugs and caught a couple DUIs in a short period of time, and here I am as a result of my poor choices," Bittner said.
On Wednesday, there was a celebration inside the Armstrong County Jail. He received a high school diploma.
KDKA asked Matt Pawk, director of special programs at the Armstrong School District, "Is this a real diploma?"
"It is a real Armstrong School District diploma, the same as any other student would get," Pawk said. "And they earn it."
"It means a lot, not just for me but for everyone in this jail," Bittner said. "My parents, my brothers and sisters. To be able to say I did it. I didn't have to do it, but I chose to do it."
His teacher in prison, Carrie Satterfield, told KDKA that he "came bright-eyed. Every morning, he was waiting at the door for me with a smile on his face. He put his whole heart into the program."
Jessica Hicks is warden of the Armstrong County Jail. When speaking of this program, she says, "It's always about second chances. So, anybody can go to jail. Whether you don't pay your fines, you get in trouble, you get a DUI, you have a bad check, anyone can fall on hard times. We see a multitude of inmates. Obviously, we do everything to help the inmate to better themselves when they get out and try to set them up for success instead of failure."
