There‘s a saying that determination is a key to success, and this young man from Alabama just proved it right. Corey Patrick spent the last year waking up at 4:30 in the morning to make a 90-minute bus ride to Tarrant High in Birmingham, AL, which he attended from 4th grade, so he‘d be able to graduate with his friends.

19-year-old Corey and his family moved to the West End neighborhood, which is about 10 miles away, when he was in his senior year of high school. He then decided that it‘d be too painful to leave his beloved friends and teachers, and collected all his strength to finish it together with them. Since the family doesn‘t own a car, Corey had to catch a public bus every morning at 5:51.

Oh his graduation day, Corey followed his daily routine, only this time he was dressed in his graduation cap and gown. That’s when a bus driver, DeJuanna Beasely, noticed the guy walking alone and snapped the photo of him that quickly went viral. “You tell me this ain’t determination, he got on my bus to go to his graduation, no one was with him,” wrote the driver on Facebook. “It’s all in what you want out of life, he didn’t have on the best but he was the best in my eyes! I was so proud of this black young man.”

Beasely explained that the reason she took the picture wasn’t that she knew Corey. She was inspired that he got on her bus and did it all by himself with so much determination and no one backing him. Anyway, Corey’s mother Felicia White said that the family has managed to make it to her son’s graduation in time.

Many people began offering their support after Corey was identified as the student in the photo, but the biggest surprise for this young man was the gift that he got from comedian Rickey Smiley who was also impressed by teen‘s perseverance. He brought Corey onto his radio show where he announced they will be gifting him a car with the help of fellow radio hosts from 95.7 Jamz.

While Corey is already studying to get his driver‘s license, the radio crew promised to help him with the rest. Corey also told on the show that he has since received a full scholarship to Jacksonville University, and plans to study computer scince. Scroll down to witness this inspiring story for yourself!

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This photo of a student making his way to a bus stop alone so he could get to his graduation recently went viral

Image credits: Dee Bee

It was Corey Patrick who spent last year waking up at 4.30AM to make a 90-minute bus ride to Tarrant High which he attended from 4th grade

19-year-old and his family moved to the West End neighborhood when he was in his senior year

He then decided that it‘d be too painful to leave his friends and teachers, and collected all his strength to finish it together with them

His determination didn’t go unnoticed by a comedian Rickey Smiley who had a big surprise for this amazing young guy

Image credits: Rickey Smiley

Since Corey’s family doesn‘t own a car and teen had to catch a public bus every morning before 6, Smiley announced he’s finally getting his own vehicle

Image credits: Marlei Martinez

The internet was truly impressed by this heartwarming story

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Image credits: Veeconyers1

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Image credits: Lhampton_

Source: boredpanda.com