Some of us don’t want to go anywhere if we have to walk six miles to get there, especially in this heat. We’d rather stay home on the couch.
But if you’re 14-year-old Xavier Jones from St. Louis, Missouri, and it took you more than two hours to walk the huge distance to your eighth-grade graduation… All of this because he wanted to get his license.
The teen’s promise to show up at his graduation helped him get a full-ride scholarship for the future.
Talk about hard work!
WSAZ reported that Xavier, a student at Yeatman Middle School, was supposed to graduate from Harris-Stowe State University.
His grandfather had offered to drive Xavier to the event, but his car broke down at the last minute, leaving the teen without a way to get there.
The middle schooler told reporters from the outlet, “If you want something done, you have to do it yourself.” “I was going to tell an adult, but my grandpa’s car broke down. So I planned to just walk there.”
Resilient and determined 8th-grader Xavier Jones walked 6 MILES over 2½ hrs to attend his St. Louis (MO) middle school graduation ceremony. The President of Harris-Stowe State University was there, noticed, & awarded Xavier a FULL RIDE scholarship to attend the HBCU! 🙌🏾 pic.twitter.com/YlWNnVNTar
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) June 1, 2023
Xavier came up with a way to get to the graduation without using wheels, which neither his grandpa nor the school staff knew about. The determined student said, “I looked up Harris-Stowe University on Google Maps and saw how far it was to walk. Then I thought, ‘I could probably make it.'”
His brother and a friend went with him on the six-mile trip. Xavier said that all he wanted to do was walk across the stage with his diploma in his hand. Lucky for the three of them, they all made it to Xavier’s graduation on time.
But that’s not the end of the sweet story! “Harris-Stowe State University officials were so moved by Xavier’s determination” to get to the event on time that they offered to give him a full scholarship to the school when he graduates from high school, which will be in four years. This amount “will cover Xavier’s tuition, fees, and books”.
“Dr. Latonia Collins Smith, the president of Harris-Stowe State University, said that the story of the teen is a” heartfelt warning that every student will face problems in their lives. “”Many of our students come with a story, and many of our students have overcome or are currently overcoming environmental hurdles. Collins Smith said”, “I just went with my heart, and my heart said, ‘This is a kid who needs a scholarship.'”
Collins Smith said this is what she learned from the story: “At the end of the rainbow, there’s a pot of gold. That day, I learned a lot from Xavier. Even on your worst day, you should keep going.”
Xavier has since said that his big dream is to become a NASCAR driver when he gets out of college. Richard Petty, take a back seat!