DANBURY -- Newtown resident Todd Ingersoll, CEO and president of Ingersoll Automotive, 84 Federal Road, Danbury, received a standing ovation for his commencement address to the Bethel High School Class of 2017 at a packed Western Connecticut University's O'Neill Center, June 20. Mr Ingersoll, a Bethel native and graduate of Bethel High School, shared inspiration from his childhood of growing up in Bethel and the life lessons he learned from the teachers in the Bethel Public Schools.

Ingersoll stated, "Success is equal parts luck and choices; sometimes it's the choices you make that create the luck." He also shared how important it is to give back to the community.

In his concluding words, he offered up three gifts to a school system that helped him pave the way to his personal success. First, he announced a scholarship fund for Bethel High School, to be funded annually for three awards - a scholarship for continued studies in music or the arts, another for furthering a student's education in technical skills, and an award for a deserving new member of the armed forces. He also announced a grant for the teachers of BHS for the 2017-2018 school year to offset the costs of preparing their classrooms. Last of all, he invited the BHS Class of 2017 to help create their own luck, and perhaps win the gift of a brand-new vehicle.

The members of the graduating class were invited to submit handwritten letters to Ingersoll to explain what makes them uniquely deserving of this gift. On July 7, 17 days after the Class of '17 graduates, Ingersoll and his team will drive with the selected essay in hand to award the student a brand-new vehicle. Ingersoll Auto of Danbury plans to broadcast this live on its Facebook page.