May 7, 2016 5 min read

WAYNESBURG – As a child, Richard Sager’s favorite part of working at his grandmother’s diner was manning the cash register, watching the lights flash as he punched in bill numbers and even getting a few small tips to buy toys.

Long after he finished working at Sonja’s Downhome Restaurant, Sager is now poised to use the culinary skills he’s honed at Greene County Career and Technology Center to spend a year overseas in a vocational exchange program in Germany.

It’s one of many honors the 18-year-old Waynesburg Central senior has enjoyed in recent months as his food preparation and entrepreneurial skills are quickly gaining statewide and even national recognition.

“I didn’t think it would take me as far as it has,” Sager said of the three years he spent at GCCTC in the culinary arts program. “When I came in here, I really saw the possibilities and I took it advantage of it. It helped me pursue my dreams.”

Earlier this year, he was one of five students – out of more than 600 candidates – selected for the Pennsylvania Presidential Scholars for his work over the past three years. That honor catapulted him to a national program in which Sager is currently a semifinalist for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program – out of 4,700 national candidates. He’ll find out later this month if he is one of the winners and spend a week in Washington, D.C., have dinner at The White House and receive a medallion.

Dan Wagner, the culinary arts advisor at GCCTC, said those honors are a credit to Sager’s tenacity and the programs offered at the vocational school

“Richard is an example of a student who has taken advantage of the opportunities for him here,” Wagner said. “It’s awesome for the school. We have phenomenal programs throughout the school.

“It shows that anyone can come to CTC and use the tools at their disposal here.”

Sager didn’t know what to expect when he began attending the vocational school during his 10th grade year. He began showing interest in culinary arts in middle school when he took a science class and enjoyed learning about the chemical makeup of food. That continued with a home economics class in ninth grade and spurred him to attend the GCCTC the following year.

Sager said he had an “eye opening” experience the first year in the program during the annual Iron Chef Competition that broke the students into teams with industry chefs as their instructors. That same year, put together a “restaurant plan” as part of the curriculum.

But Sager didn’t just write an essay about how he would create a restaurant. He built it from the ground up by talking to the county tourism and economic development departments, the Chamber of Commerce and local real estate agents about possible locations. He also researched food and furniture costs, reviewed local census data to see the area’s demographics and event met with local newspapers to learn about advertising rates.

The final concept appeared as Abruzzo’s Italian Restaurant, a fictional eatery located near Greene County Airport.

“I took it to the point that I wanted it to be real,” Sager said. “I wanted to be as passionate about it because it’s something that we need for Greene County.”

He may have topped that project a year later when he came up with the idea to merge freeze-dried food eaten by astronauts with the quick-action warming capabilities that heat up “meals ready to eat” used by the military. It’s a way to preserve food, Sager said, while also allowing people to turn it into a warm meal. A provisional patent is pending, he said.

“They could’ve been combined a long time ago, but no one did it,” he said.

All the while he had an eye on the trip to Germany through the Congress-Bundestag Vocational Exchange Program.

With the help of GCCTC guidance counselor Karen Cosner, he applied to the program and was selected about a month ago to travel abroad with 23 other students from across the country. He’ll attend a three-day orientation on German culture before traveling June 30 to the country and spending two months learning how to speak the language.

He’ll live with a host family and spend the year immersing himself in the culture and learning how hotels and restaurants are operated in Germany. Sager said he expects it to be “hard, but exciting.”

“It’s going to be real eye-opening and get me out of my comfort zone,” he said.

Because of the cost of the trip and personal expenses, he is looking for sponsors or donations, and anybody interested in helping can call the GCCTC at 724-627-3106 to lend their support.

After returning next June, Sager plans to attend Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., to study hospitality management or entrepreneurship and eventually “work in the field” after graduation.

“I want to make some money to start my own dream,” Sager said, alluding to the

If Sager has his way, a new restaurant might be coming to Greene County in the near future, after all.