MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- A Cordova high school teacher was given a $50,000 check after receiving well-deserved national attention. There was shock on Brian Sneed's face as a round of applause erupted in his typically quiet mechanic shop at Cordova High School. Instead of picking up his toolkit to teach students auto maintenance skills, he picked up a $50,000 check. "It's a lot to take in," Sneed said. "I always think, well if I win the lotto, I'm going to do this." 'A change is coming,’ says new MATA board member But this is not the lottery — it's the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools award. "So deserving of this award," said Cordova High School Principal Barton Thorne. "He really deserves it," one student said. "He's really a great teacher who puts a lot into his students." Multiple seniors have accepted jobs before they've even crossed the stage thanks to Sneed and the school's trade program. "You don't need a four-year degree. You need a job skill," Sneed said. "If that job skill comes from a four-year degree, so be it. But if it doesn't, you can get what you need in order to do the job.” ELECTION GUIDE: Presidential, state and local races, Nov. 5, 2024 $15,000 will go to Sneed and $35,000 will go towards the school. The first thing on Cordova High's to-do list is to get a new car lift post. "It's been failing a little bit on us," one student said. "(It's) making it slow to work around here." In the meantime, Sneed plans to continue driving the success of students.