Acts of Kindness
Young Man Goes Viral After Walking To His Graduation
A bus driver took notice of the young man's determination and perseverance and now - his life has been changed forever.
Cedric Jackson
06.16.18

Face it: High school is a rough time for many kids.

Not only do you have to deal with schoolwork, making friends, and extracurricular activities, but you’re also trying to figure out who you want to be in life and what you want to do. And that can make for a pretty stressful time.

However, many kids don’t have to worry about how they are getting to school.

Stuff like housing, transportation, and getting healthy meals is all figured out for them already, and they just have to worry about being kids. But that isn’t the case for many other students, who face obstacles that seem almost insurmountable at times.

That’s certainly the case for Corey Patrick of Alabama. He had gone to school with the same group of kids in Tarrant, Alabama, since he was in fourth grade. Then, when he was in high school, his parents decided to move far away from the school he was going to.

But Patrick didn’t want to leave all the friends and classmates at his old school, so he did something amazing. He elected to take the bus every morning at 5:41 a.m. just so he could make it to his original school.

GoFundME
Source:
GoFundME

Getting to the bus that early involved waking up at 4:30 a.m. every morning, something that most high school kids would never dream of doing.

But Patrick was committed to his education, and he wanted to make sure that he showed up to school every day. And all that work and commitment paid off when Patrick was finally ready to graduate. He had done what he needed to do to succeed, and now, it was time to celebrate.

GoFundMe
Source:
GoFundMe

However, when the day of graduation finally arrived, Patrick faced the exact same problem again.

How was he going to get there? His family wasn’t able to take him, nor could they find a way to arrange any transportation. So, he did what he had done all year long, and he took the bus again. He said:

“I had to do what was necessary for me to walk this year.”

Facebook/Dee Bee
Source:
Facebook/Dee Bee

But when the bus driver who picked him up saw him, she was amazed by his perseverance.

She wanted to share the moment with her friends on social media, so she made a post right away.

The driver said this of Patrick:

“I did it to inspire people on my page. I didn’t do it because I knew him. I just did it because he got on my bus and I was inspired that he got on by himself and he was so determined to get it with no one backing him.”

Twitter/@RickeySmiley
Source:
Twitter/@RickeySmiley

Other people on the internet started taking notice, and they were just as impressed as Patrick’s bus driver was.

They recognized how much courage and determination this young man had, and soon, people began to wonder how they could help him.

Rickey Smiley Morning Show
Source:
Rickey Smiley Morning Show

Soon, comedian and radio personality Rickey Smiley reached out to Patrick and found out how he could help.

Much to Patrick’s surprise, Rickey got him a car of his own, so he would never face the same transportation issues again. In addition, somebody started a GoFundMe campaign for Patrick to help him achieve his dreams. And if all of that weren’t enough, Patrick also received a full scholarship to Jacksonville University, meaning that he can continue to work hard to succeed at his educational goals.

Rickey Smiley Morning Show
Source:
Rickey Smiley Morning Show

Sometimes, life’s obstacles can seem overwhelming.

But people like Patrick prove that with a lot of determination and hard work, it is sometimes possible to push through. Hopefully, with all the help he is now receiving, Patrick can continue to pursue his dreams. With his can-do attitude and determination to do whatever it takes to get the job done, it seems like he’s going to do just fine for himself.

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