A 14-year-old Missouri eighth grader became a grade icon after walking a long distance to get to his graduation ceremony.
Not having the financial resources to use another means of transportation and because the vehicle that was in his house was broken, he put together an alternative plan and got to school on foot. As a reward for his efforts, they gave him a university scholarship.
Xavier Jones had planned to attend the important event, but didn't know how to make it because his home in North City was a long way from Harris Stowe State University, where it would take place.
"I was going to tell an adult, but my grandfather's car broke down, so we just had to walk there," he told News 4.
Unnoticed by any adult at his high school, Yeatman Middle School, he decided to set up his plan.
He didn't want to do it alone, so he enlisted his brother and a friend to tag along: "I looked up the University on Google Maps and saw the walking distance, then I thought I could probably make it."
The young man walked for just over two hours, for 10.4 kilometers. Even though it was a long journey, he never gave up.
His number one goal was to get to the campus to receive his end-of-year diploma. "If you want to do something, you have to keep going. I wanted to cross the stage," he stressed.
On the other hand, there were more obstacles in his way. Darren Seals, Xavier's teacher at his Sankofa community center on Emma Street, said the teenager's shoes were not in good condition to cover so many miles in them.
"He did what he had to do... The shoes he walked in had holes in the bottom and top. It was a long road, I could not have done it," he commented, for 5 On Your Side.
Latonia Collins Smith, president of Harris Stowe State University, heard about what happened and was moved by Jones' story. At the same time, his great determination motivated her to want to give him an incentive not to drop out.
From her perspective, Xavier's case is just one example of the obstacles faced by students in the region. So, she gave him a full-coverage scholarship to go to college: tuition, books, and any other fees will be paid for him.
"Many of our students come with a story and with barriers that they have overcome or are trying to break down. I just followed my heart and it told me this is a kid who needs a scholarship," she told News 4.
Jones assured that he was grateful for the opportunity and happy to be able to take a step forward towards his dream of being a Nascar driver after graduating: "It means that I am going to do something great and that I finally made it out of eighth grade."
