(WSVN) - A California teen, whose story first went viral when officers spotted him walking two hours each way to work, now is thriving thanks to the kindness of police and strangers.
A police officer in the San Francisco Bay area noticed 19-year-old Jourdan Duncan walking home from work back in September, and gave the teen a ride home after finding out just how long his journey was. The officer and his department soon bought Duncan a mountain bike, and the story of the dedicated teen quickly spread on social media.
A GoFundMe page was set up to help Duncan out, eventually raising over $40,000. Duncan said he used a portion of that money to buy a used car, a 2003 Volkswagen Passat.
“Nothing too fancy,” Duncan told Fox 2. “Anything with 4 wheels is fine for me.”
The teen said he used the rest of the money on his education, thanks to the generosity of those who donated to help him.
“I just want to tell everyone thank you,” he added. “I can’t let it be for nothing.”
Duncan says he decided he wants to be a police officer, is now studying criminal justice at Solano Community College
“This is actually my first year and official year of attending this school,” the new freshman said. “I’m so happy to be here.”
The teen attends takes morning classes before heading to his warehouse job for the night shift.
“I get the question, why do I still work,” he said. “Because it won’t last forever. Any money I get I try to save or use for my needs and wants. Mostly my needs because my wants can come later.”
Duncan says his life has completely changed thanks to that one police officer’s act of kindness, and he is determined to succeed because of it.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.