Great Penmanship Leads To Great Success

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Sonia Trevino, Carley Dewitt, Anthony Tarango, Editor-in-cheif, Co-editor, Co-editor
October 21, 2011
Filed under Student Life, Top Stories

One of  Lakeview’s very own students has caught the attention of a writer at the Dallas Morning News.

Sophomore, Payton Hreha, was interviewed by free lance writer, Clare Miers, because of his growing business in the production and the selling of pens.

“I’m always impressed by a young entrepreneur,” reporter Clare Miers wrote. “I think it’s because I ran my own lemonade stand and sold my wares door to door when that was safe, back in the old days.”

Miers acknowledged Hreha’s pens, while strolling through Lone Star Shipping Co. in Dallas.

“The writing instruments were impressive, but the photo of the boy on the homemade box holding up his blue ribbons captured my interest,” Miers explains in her article.

And just like that, this reporter was intrigued and desperate to find out more. Fortunately for her, the store owner, Brad Ward, was a friend of Payton’s father, David Hreha.

“I was impressed that Ward supported the boy’s efforts and displayed the pens on his main counter,” Miers admits later in her feature story.

Next on Miers to do list, get ahold of the Hreha family and get the inside scoop.

“It was pretty cool being interviewed by the Dallas Morning News” Herha said. “We had gotten a call back from her saying she got approved to doing the article. I was like wow, I can’t believe this is happening.”

It turns out, Payton learned how to make pens at his middle school, Brandenburg. His workshop teacher, Clarence “C.R.” Tate, held a pen making demonstration during class.

“Tate, clearly one of those fabulous, inspiring teachers who push kids so far along in life, saw talent in Payton and encouraged him to enter his pieces in the district competition,” reporter Clare Miers stated.

Once Mr. Tate saw how well Payton was doing at pen making, he encouraged him to enter a competition. A competition that young Payton won.

“It really encouraged me want to make more pens,” LC’s Payton Hreha states.

Today, Payton has about five to six customers that he makes custom pens for. By learning intricate designs, he turns a normal ballpoint pen into a work of art.

“When I’m working on these, it’s quality over quantity,” Hreha explains.

On average each pen costs about $25, but can differ depending on the cost of materials.

“It depends on what it is, I have click pens that will cost more than the twist pen. The cost of the pen aso depends on the type of wood,” Hreha explains. “It varies on what people chose. Usually it costs about $10-$20 to make a pen.”

With all this money coming in, Payton knows just how to spend it.

“Hopefully I can save up, maybe, to  buy a car or something. Just for all the different things I would want to save up for,” Payton explained.

There you have it, one of Lakeview’s very own making a name for himself in the world. This young entreprenuer is a prime example of what one student can do when they desperately want something.

Quotes provided by freelance reporter Clare Miers and Dallas Morning News. For the full story click here.