COEUR d'ALENE — A group of Post Falls High School seniors let out cheers bursting with Trojan pride when it was announced that their classmate, Tabitha Hughes, won a new car.

"I'm really shocked, honestly," Hughes said. "I just couldn't believe it. It hasn't really set in yet."

About 140 students representing the top 10 percent of their graduating classes gathered in the Lake City High School auditorium Monday afternoon to see who would be departing from senior year with the shining, electric blue 2016 Ford Fiesta.

Principals and representatives from six local high schools — Coeur d'Alene, Lake City, Post Falls, Timberlake, Lakeland and Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy — placed cards bearing their students' names into a tumbler to choose one student from each school. The six students were called to the stage and eliminated one by one until it was between Lake City and Post Falls, then Hughes was announced the winner.

This was the 18th year car dealer Tom Addis and Lake City Ford gifted a new vehicle to a graduating senior with an impeccable GPA. Hughes was all smiles knowing she can retire her old 1994 Ford Escort for the Fiesta before she heads to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, to major in wildlife and wild lands conservation. She called her stepmom to share the good news as she slid into the driver's seat for the first time.

"I’m jacked for her," said PFHS principal Chris Sensel. "It is so cool that Tom Addis has been doing this for years, but it’s a great way to show how they feel about academics."

It's tradition for the school with the winning student to host the event the following year, which Sensel is looking forward to since PFHS now has a new auditorium.

"All these kids have a lot going on," he said. "Just because they’ve got this high GPA doesn’t mean they’ve got a great plan to pay for college. They’re all out there fighting for scholarships, writing essays, working all year long on how to pay for where they want to go."

LCHS principal Deanne Clifford said this annual event is extremely generous of the Addis family and Lake City Ford.

"They pride themselves on honoring those students who have worked so hard. And having Jim Addis (of Lake City Ford) here to be the emcee and make sure he was able to select the winner was really important to them," she said. "We sure appreciate their support."

She said all of the students who attended the car giveaway event have incredible work ethics; they're the students who score high on SATs, ISATs and conquer Advanced Placement classes.

"To be able to have some kind of payoff like this is wonderful," she said. "The bottom line is, for all of our kids, getting to graduation is the key. Walking across the stage and going on to a two- or four-year college is huge."

Addis said it's important to recognize the students who have achieved so much. Along with presenting the car to Hughes, Addis added that fees, such as taxes and the car title, are paid for as well.

"It just gives them a leg up in their next step," he said. "Having a reliable car, especially in this neck of the woods, is important."

"We appreciate all of the hard work you guys do. It's really easy to get off track," he said to the seniors. "We wish you good luck."

Hughes said her advice for next year's seniors who are hopeful to win a car is to never give up.

"Just keep trying, keep doing your best," she said. "Even if it doesn't seem to pay off at first, it will in the end."