12-Year-Old Honored After Saving Brothers, Fellow Student From Stalled Bus on Metra Tracks

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 12-year-old girl is honored Wednesday for her quick thinking that helped get everyone off a school bus in Orland Park just moments before it was hit by a Metra train.

"It's unbelievable. I'm so happy and grateful for it. It's definitely going to help me in my future."

That's hero is Ava Gentile with a $5,000 check in hand -- a scholarship for a job well done.

Ava stepped up in a very scary moment, helping her bus driver get her two brothers and another student off the bus last week. In the nick of time, a Metra train slammed into the bus less than a minute after they escaped.

We interviewed Ava about her quick actions and the president of a local company noticed something interesting about that interview.

"Not only that she saved all of these kids, but she was wearing a PAYROC shirt. We sponsor the soccer team which is the sting and she just happened to have a PAYROC shirt when the news was filming her," said Adam Oberman, PAYROC President.

As CBS 2's Asal Rezai reports, Ava's reaction was smiles and giggle as she watched the story along with her friends and family at the award ceremony Wednesday.

"Something pretty horrible could turn out pretty awesome actually," Ava said.

Her dad also took the stage and said he's glad his daughter was there to make sure her brothers were safe and is proud of her quick thinking.

Ava says she wants to play soccer in college when she grows up. so that money will help pay for school.