From May to July, counties all across the country gather up to celebrate their graduating teens. It’s a time of celebration for children ready to enter the next phases of their lives. It’s a time of joy for the families that support them. But for one teen in Alabama, the day was almost ruined.
A+ Teacher and Student
Bessemer City High School held its annual Graduation recently. For most of the attending students and teachers, it was a day like any other. Students in their caps and gowns rising to the stage to accept their diplomas and offering heartfelt hugs for the families that supported them.
But this recent graduation day was a little different for Dominique Moore, a teacher and graduation coordinator for the school. He had seen many graduations in his career and was used to the normal festivities and cheer. He never expected that the day would be a little different.
After the main event, he was helping to clean up when he noticed one of the attendees was still there and on his own.
Moore could tell that something wasn’t right. He was one of the youth’s teachers and could tell that something was up. He had this to say when asked about the incident by AL.com:
“I know his moods and I knew he wasn’t himself. I asked him, ‘Where are your people’ and he was like, ‘Nobody’s here.'”
Moore didn’t know what to say at first. He couldn’t imagine any positive scenario that would lead to his student being alone on this big day. So he told him ““I expect big things from you and it’s going to be OK”.
Moore checked on him as the cleanup was being finished and noticed that he was still there. No parent had showed up to take him home and this broke Moore’s heart. He did the only thing a kind teacher could do and offer him a ride home.
His student accepted, not knowing that this ride would be a trip like none other.
Cake and Kindness
Moore offered to treat his student to dinner at a place of his choosing. They ended up having dinner at a Cheesecake Facotry. At first, the pair were in tears, but Moore’s kindness and warmth won out.
The pair were soon laughing and enjoying conversations that helped soften the blow from being alone on his graduation day. Moore never asked why his parents didn’t show since what truly mattered was making sure that he had someone with him on his big important day.
After dinner, Moore discovered that the teen had a job with Amazon and no way to get there. So this amazing teacher offered to be his ride to and from work. It was clear from the start that the teen appreciated the gesture. But Moore wasn’t done yet.
The teacher posted about the incident on Facebook, something he rarely ever does. He had this to say about the incident:
“These situations are common to me and I handle them on my own, You don’t always have to show everybody or tell everybody when you do something but this one just didn’t sit well with me. I don’t know what it was.”
Moore then posted a link to his Cashapp for anyone who wanted to offer his student a blessing. It was clear that Moore wanted to do everything he could to help his former student out. Moore ended up raising over $5,000 for his student.
That Friday, when he picked up his student to take him to work, he made sure to help him open a bank account. Moore talked with his student and gave him the tools and income to start savings and good money habits that will hopefully help him excel in life.
A teachers love
Many families and students see graduation as just another step in life. But sometimes, these events can be heartbreaking for reasons that we can only imagine.
Moore saw the heartbreak in one of his students and did what he could to turn things around. Moore has become one of his student’s friends for life with one small act of kindness.
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