Last month, bus driver Dee Bree saw a young man dressed in a graduation cap and gown walking alone on the side of the road. The he got on her bus and rode for a few stops before getting off at the local high school in Birmingham, Alabama. The teenager, Corey Patrick, walked to his graduation ceremony from there alone on foot.
Saddened by what she had seen, Dee took a few photos of the boy as he walked. Though he had no family or friends with him, Corey seemed determined to get to the ceremony and get his diploma.
After Dee shared the photos to her Facebook page, they immediately went viral.
“I did it to inspire people on my page,” Dee later explained. “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.”
As the photos went viral, more and more details of Corey’s past came to light. It turns out that he had gone to the same school from kindergarten until eleventh grade, when his family had to move about ten miles away. Not wanting to miss out on the final year of school with his friends, Corey decided to commute, but the one problem with this was that he didn’t have a car.
Corey had no choice but to take public transportation, and taking different buses through Birmingham took him about 90 minutes each way. This meant that he had to wake up at around 4 in the morning and head out the door to start his day by 4:30, not getting home until 6:30 or 7 at night.
Despite all of this hardship, Corey never complained and worked hard to get his degree. After the photos went viral, his community rallied around him.
When renowned comedian Rickey Smiley heard Corey’s story, he was so touched that he decided to do something huge for him. Corey was stunned when Rickey presented him with a brand new car!
On top of that, a GoFundMe page that was set up for Corey has now raised over $21,000 for his future!
We did it!! We gave Corey Patrick a car of his own!!!! pic.twitter.com/KFwwmUn7Gm
— Rickey Smiley (@RickeySmiley) May 25, 2018
Corey has been given a full scholarship to Jacksonville University, and with all the determination and work ethic he has shown in his life so far, we have no doubt that he has a bright future ahead of him!
Watch the moment Corey was given his car below, and SHARE this inspiring story so your friends and family can see this as well!
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