CYBER WISH
With a new computer, he hopes to ght hackers and scammers
Paul Svetahor served his country in the Air Force, traveled coast to coast for his work in car sales and leasing and is active with his church.
But at age 81, the Greensburg man is far from ready to rest on his laurels and enjoy retirement.
He not only hopes to resume working, he’s planning to further his education and pursue a degree in cybersecurity.
“I’ve been turned down for jobs since age 75. Instead of saying it is because I’m 75, I’m told I’m not qualified.
“I figured if I get a degree in cybersecurity, there is no reason I can’t work in homeland security or criminal justice and forensics. I think that would be interesting,” Svetahor said.
But in order to apply to colleges and seek financial assistance, he needed a new laptop.
Jalyn Shroyer, who has worked with Svetahor through her role as a housing coach with Westmoreland Community Action, heard about the Twilight Wish Foundation from a friend. She applied on his behalf, noting his wish for a new laptop.
Local representatives of the national nonprofit recently presented Svetahor with a new Hewlett Packard laptop, mouse, anti-virus protection and applications to help him withresearch and paper writing.
It was paid for through a special Twilight Wish Foundation fund specifically dedicated to veterans’ wishes, said Carla Colello, a Twilight Wish volunteer and clinical social worker at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Colello explained that Svetahor’s qualifications for a wish included his veteran status and his work through his church, the Church of God in Greensburg. She did not know Svetahor prior to his wish being granted, but said she has since been able to help him apply for veterans’ benefits he did not know about.
“The most important thing to me is to see someone with a lot of hope and drive and purpose,” she said. “We just thought it was amazing that someone of his age would want to go back to school.”
Svetahor, a native of Derry, Westmoreland County, enlisted in the Air Force shortly after graduating from high school in 1960.
“Everyone in my family was in the military. It was just natural for me,” he said.
He served for six years, including two years reserve duty.
Bibles in Boston
His last duty station was in Amherst, Massachusetts, where he commutedby bus from Springfield.
“Before I left Springfield, I was offered a part-time job selling Bibles door to door. I did that for six months as a way to make extra money,” Svetahor said. “I had 12 people working for me in the Boston area. We sold large Bibles for $39.”
He did not realize at the time that he was honing his sales skills for the career that was waiting.
“I came home and my mom asked me, ‘ Are you going to get a job?’ I took the bus into Greensburg (to a Chevrolet dealership) and applied for a job as a detailer. I then went to a Ford dealership in Greensburg and said, ‘I want to talk to the owner.’
“I said, ‘I want a job selling cars. If I can sell Bibles door to door in Boston, I can sell cars.’ ”
He took his spiel to a third dealership, this one in Latrobe, and was hired on the spot, he said.
“I trained for two weeks and hit the sales floor. I sold my first car for $5,700. The buyer paid in cash out of a paper bag. It was a 1965 LTD two-door,” Svetahor said.
In 1969, after his marriage ended, heboarded a bus to California.
“I bought a $128 bus ticket to LA with $400 in my pocket. I knew no one, had no job,” he said.
“Two days later the bus stops in Las Vegas at Union Plaza. I checked my bag in a locker. On the ride from Pittsburgh to Vegas, I read a book on shooting dice. I went to the Golden Nugget [casino] and got $40 worth of chips. Several hours later, I left with over $600. I found a motel and stayed for nine months.”
He still had his bus ticket, and eventually decided to continue on to Los Angeles. At the bus station, he called four dealerships, looking for a job.
‘Tall Paul’ the salesman
Svetahor, a lean 6 foot, 5 inches with an easy smile, said he acquired the nickname “Tall Paul” after singer Annette Funicello recorded a song by that name.
He met his second wife after selling her a car and later moved to Escondido, California, working his way up to a dealership general manager position.
When that marriage ended, he returned to car sales. He started traveling around the country, he said, teaching sales people about leasing, eventually moving on to New York and then Arizona.
“I trained over 3,000 salesman. I personally have sold a car in every state in the union except for Alaska,” Svetahor said.
An only child, he returned home in 2000 to care for his ill mother.
In 2017, seeking help to quit a smoking habit of 60-plus years, he began attending Bible study at the Church of God in Greensburg.
“I haven’t smoked since,” he said.
Svetahor said he worked several part-time jobs through the Westmoreland County Community College’s Senior Community Service Employment Program.
Back to school
When Shroyer asked him what he wanted, he was ready.
“I said I did not want and do not watch TV. If anything, I would like a laptop so I can go back to school,” he said.
“He said, ‘I’m just used to hearing no all the time. It was wonderful to hear a yes,’ ” Colello recalled.
“I’m going to keep trying. If it doesn’t work out, it wasn’t meant to be,” Svetahor said. “I was used to working 60-80 hours a week in the car business for decades. I’ll find something to do.”
Meanwhile, he hopes to use his laptop to do research and put together a program to help educate senior citizens about scams.
Svetahor said he’s been victimized by scammers. He hopes to put together a seminar alerting others against providing personal information that can be used to access bank accounts, responding to suspicious prize-winning claims or applying for questionable online jobs.
Twilight wishes
Cass Forkin, of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, began the national nonprofit Twilight Wish Foundation in 2003.
As a girl, she survived a near fatal bicycle accident and later embarked on a career in healthcare.
Forkin noticed that many seniors in eldercare facilities did not receive visitors. She wondered about their hopes and wishes in their “twilight” years, and founded the organization to make some of those dreams come true.
To date, the nonprofit has granted nearly 6,000 wishes to deserving seniors.
According to Jamie Bostard, Westmoreland County chapter director, the organization receives many generous donations.
Anyone can nominate someone for a wish. Past wishes have included hearing aids, a keyboard, a ride in a blimp, attending a military reunion, having a casino night, meeting a celebrity and attending a sporting event.
Recipients must be 65 or permanent residents of elder care facilities, be U.S. citizens, have a history of giving back to others and meet income requirements. For more information or to nominate someone for a wish, visit twilightwish.org.