Teen Walks 10 Miles for Job Interview in Snow – Stranger’s Unexpected Offer Changes His Life Forever

When restaurant owner Art Bouvier first laid eyes on 18-year-old Jhaqueil Reagan, the boy was trudging through the Indianapolis snow on a cold winter’s day. Reagan asked Bouvier how far it was to 10th and Sherman, and the owner told him it was at least 6 or 7 miles, so it would be better to take the bus.

But Reagan did not have the money for a bus. He was homeless, living on his friends’ couches, and had dropped out of high school to take care of his siblings.

Bouvier drove by again 15 minutes later and saw Reagan still trudging through the snow.

“I called to him and said buddy you really do need to be on a bus to go to 10th and Sherman today? He said, ‘Well I don’t have any money for the bus.’ And I said, ‘ok come on we’ll go that way,'” Bouvier told WISH-TV.

As it turned out, Reagan was on his way to a job interview that had the potential to pay minimum wage, but wasn’t guaranteed. Despite not knowing the exact route, he had given himself two hours to get there on time.

Realizing Reagan’s incredible work ethic, Bouvier got the teen’s phone number and instructed him to keep his interview, but to see if he could hire him at his restaurant “so that his daily commute would be 3 miles instead of 10.”

“I also inquired if he had eaten that day and he replied that he hadn’t,” Bouvier said on Facebook. “I gave him money for lunch and took him to the Dairy Queen at 10th and Sherman. I think he was surprised.”

Unbeknownst to Reagan, Bouvier intended to hire him after witnessing his work ethic.

Don’t give up Bouvier eventually hired Reagan, but that wasn’t all. The story became a viral sensation, and the teen was offered a year of free bus passes, and Bouvier even offered to help him find an apartment.

For Reagan, the experience taught him a valuable lesson: “Don’t give up and get out there and try.

The teen now plans to use the goodwill generated by his viral story to pay it forward.

“I love that saying, ‘Pay it forward.’ Art said that to me when we first met, and I’m going to pay it forward,” he told WISH-TV.

At just 18 years old, Reagan had already been dealt a tough hand, but he persevered. He refused to let bad weather and an empty wallet stop him from attending a job interview, and as a result, he ended up getting a completely different job offer by putting himself out there.

This story shows that if you work hard, good things will come to you, and that complete strangers can be extremely caring.