Harris-Stowe State University has granted Missouri teen Xavier Jones a full-ride scholarship after hearing his story of walking six miles from his house to his eighth-grade graduation ceremony last month.
Jones, a student at Yeatman Middle School was determined to walk across the stage at the ceremony being held at Harris-Stowe State University.
When he was left without a ride after his grandfather’s car broke down at the last minute, he decided to make the six-mile journey with his brother and a friend accompanying him.
“I looked up Harris-Stowe University on Google Maps, and then I saw the walking distance, and then I said, ‘I could probably make it,’” Xavier said.
Jones arrived just in time for the ceremony and was able to walk across the stage.
Once administrators at Harris-Stowe State University got word of Jones’s story, they offered him a full-ride scholarship to the university after he finishes high school in four years.
“Many of our students come with a story, and many of our students come with environmental barriers they have overcome or that they are currently overcoming,” said Dr. Latonia Collins Smith, president of Harris-Stowe.
The full-ride scholarship will cover Xavier’s cost of tuition, fees, and all books someday.
“I just led with my heart, and I followed my heart, and my heart said, ‘This is a kid that needs a scholarship,’” Collins Smith added.
According to WBTV, Jones received a personal tour of the university’s campus on Wednesday. He said that his goal is to be a NASCAR driver after graduating from college.
