Screenshot: CBS News
It took 14-year-old Xavier Jones two hours to get to his eighth-grade graduation. Not because he was stuck in a traffic jam or went the long way because of a detour. Jones intentionally made a six-mile journey by foot underneath the heat of the morning sun because he was determined to get that diploma in his hand, according to CBS News.
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“If you really want to get something, then you have to work hard for it,” Jones told CBS.
The St. Louis teen had few options on how to get to his ceremony because his grandfather’s car wasn’t working the day of. The report says the teen took off on his miles-long walk, stopping to ask passersby for a dollar to get something to drink because he was so thirsty. He thought about turning around and letting the school send a copy of his certificate in the mail, but the honor of being handed the certificate of the completion of his years of challenging work was worth the trek.
Once he arrived at the ceremony, held at Harris-Stowe State University, President Collins Smith was moved by his effort.
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“He wanted to be present,” she said. “(That) speaks volumes … Half the battle is showing up.”
Collins Smith awarded a scholarship to Jones on the spot. The four-year full-ride scholarship would cover all of his tuition at the school, an thrilling prospect for any student, but he thought it meant something else.
“He thought that full-ride meant he would get a ride to college, like he wouldn’t have to walk here again,” Collins Smith laughed.
In addition to the presidential scholarship, Jones was also surprised with two modern forms of transportation after his story started circulating. Jones was gifted a $5,000 bike and his family, a $40,000 minivan from a local business thanks to Miami Dolphins star Terron Armstead, per KMOV.
Behind the false narratives of why Black kids may not make it to the graduation stage, there are stories like these that remind us of the obstacles Black children face to simply get an education.
