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In a story that proves it’s never too late to pursue your dreams, Virginia “Ginger” Hislop, at the remarkable age of 105, returned to Stanford University to finally earn her master's degree — a goal she put on hold over eight decades ago for love and family.
*Featured image contains photo by Timur Weber and Pixabay“Did anybody see that?!”The man shouts, left stunned and confused, yet no one steps to help him. Little does he know, it sets off a series of events that change his life forever.A Random Metro MeetPhoto by Ron LachWe often hear about unsavory encounters people have on their daily commute, often involving the homeless, unkept, and aggressive.Yet sometimes, the tables turn and it's the homeless person approached by a passerby without warning. As you'll shortly see, it can be just as jarring.Next to the buzzing shuffle of commuters past the metro turnstile is Raymond. He's sitting on his backpack, his winter coat closed tightly to shelter him from the chill. In front of him is what appears to be a rolled-up brown fast food bag, which might be his ration for the day. "Hey man, what's your name?" the stranger asks him. After he replies, the stranger pulls out a paper and says, "Raymond, can you read that for me?"When Raymond replies that he's unable to read or write, the stranger sighs, unfolds the paper and says, "Alright, we'll read it together."With that, Raymond stands up to hear the unexpected. A Man’s Note and SurprisePhoto by Cottonbro StudioOnce the stranger reads the contents of the note to Raymond, he seems to relax and open up. He says that he was abandoned for 12 years, and that he has no children or family. Although he's illiterate, what the man reads to him is so powerful, that Raymond asks if he can have the note, and he hands it to him, saying, "It was for you."It's at that point, with the motivation to do more, that the stranger takes something out of his pocket. "Nah, I don't believe it - you playing!” he responds, stunned. "I'm not playing," the stranger replies. That's when the stranger hands it to Raymond, prompting him to cry, “Did anybody see that?!” A Stranger’s Identity Is RevealedFast forward to the future. Raymond is sitting down eating on a park bench when he hears an unmistakable voice."Raymond, is that you?!""BOND!" he shouts.It's not James Bond, but Peter Bond. And while he's not 007, he's known online as 'Mr $1 Bill.' Bond is known for his viral videos of lifting those who are down and out. When he sees him, Raymond begins to tell Bond excitedly about the impact his gesture to him on the metro that day had on his life.“I got my life together, I’m in a shelter now, bought me some clothes, got me shaved, haircut and everything," he shares. But that's not it. "I’ve been doing good, I even found me a job! They gave me the boots, the hat, the gloves and everything! So now I found me a job, the only thing I’m waiting for is my Osha card (An occupational safety course)"Before they part, Raymond reminds him just what an impact Bond made.“That helped me a lot, I really appreciate it man. I take it from the heart, you helped me a lot!"They then share a long hug before parting ways, forever changed. One Man Proves Kindness Can Change LivesTrue to his name, that day on the metro, Bond handed Raymond dollars bills, 500 of them to be exact. It's what helped him get clothes and clean up.However, what really kept Raymond going was the note that Bond gave him. He said that although he'd lost it on a train, he would always remember what it read when he needed motivation. If you think about it every day, don’t give up on it.Imagine, a dozen words can carry the human spirit a million miles. Speaking to Ladbible, Bond says that his outlook on life is pretty simple: “You can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” More from Goalcast:Freezing Homeless Man Goes to a Closed McDonald’s – Manager Defies All Rules and Does This“Homeless” Man Insists on Paying for an Expensive Lunch at Restaurant – So the Server Tells Him a LieCollege Student Buys Homeless Man a Cup of Tea – Soon It Turns Into $400,000
Dreams are important, but they can also be complicated. Even if we’ve discovered our dreams and are taking steps to make them a reality, there are plenty of obstacles that can get in the way.Sometimes, those obstacles are a matter of circumstance, like financial reasons, proximity, or talent. But it’s important to remember that we’re not all born with the same deck of cards in life. Some people have physical, mental, or emotional circumstances they also have to navigate.Realizing your dreams is possible though, as this heartwarming story proves.An Aspiring VetFaith Snapp is a legally blind 22-year-old who grew up in Texas dreaming of becoming a veterinarian. “My entire life, my family has raised horses and goats for as long as I can remember,” she explained to Fox News. “I always loved animals.”However, Snapp and her twin brother were born prematurely and with very limited vision. Today, Snapp can only detect motion with her right eye, while her left eye can make out shapes, colors, and large prints. The publication reports that she’s always had trouble seeing far distances and has less than 10% field vision.As a result, Snapp has had a guide dog since high school. Still, she never let her sight impairment stop her from pursuing her love of animals. She joined several clubs in high school and worked at local animal clinics.“I just needed to find the people and the accommodations and the places that would be willing to help me,” she explained.“That was a little bit challenging because I think oftentimes people place limitations on somebody with a disability because they assume that they are limited. But in my mind, the only limitation I have is if I think I can't do it.”Realizing Her DreamIt may have been challenging to find others who could help Snapp on her journey, but in the end, she never gave up and found the support she needed. Earlier this year all of Snapp’s hard work and commitment paid off when she was accepted into the Texas Tech University School of Veterinary Medicine."His plan is far greater than mine and I am so thankful to have an opportunity like this to continue to grow and love others along my journey!" Snapp wrote in a Facebook post. "I also want to thank my family and friends who have supported me and pushed me to work hard to chase my dreams."Snapp begins her classes in August and hopes that through them, she can continue on her path to becoming a mixed-animal veterinarian. In that role, she would be able to work with both large and small animals.“No matter who you are or what your circumstances… anything is possible,” she said. “I just hope my story can help others realize that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.”Follow Your DreamsOne of the hardest things in life can be finding your purpose or realizing what it is you want to do with your life. That’s why, when you do find your dream, you should pursue it. After all, this is your life and you get to choose how you live it.That doesn’t mean following your dream will be easy, but as Snapp’s story proves, it is possible. Make a plan, figure out which obstacles you may need to overcome, and surround yourself with people who will support you on your journey.While you’re at it, do your best to support other people on their dream fulfillment quests. After all, we only get one shot at this thing called life, so why not lift each other up and help one another find purpose, too?More from Goalcast:Poor 84-Year-Old Street Vendor Has Had One Dream for Decades – Wakes Up at 4:30 A.M Every Day to Fulfill ItUber Driver Confesses Her Biggest Dream To Passengers – Their Reaction Takes Her By SurpriseAfter Finding Out She Might Die, She Lost 170 Pounds And Went After Her Dream
Teens sometimes get a bad rap, even when they’re not doing anything wrong. Sure, those teenage years can be a rebellious phase, but that doesn’t mean these kids aren’t good people. Sometimes, they’re just trying to make a difference in their corner of the world, just as adults are trying to do in theirs.That’s maybe why this story of a basketball-obsessed teen in Edmonton, Alberta and his thoughtful neighbor is making international news.A Teen With a DreamEvery day, 14-year-old Anthony Muobike grabs his basketball and heads outside to his driveway where he spends a couple of hours dribbling the ball. It’s something he does every time he has a spare minute and his passion shows: Muobike has dreams of eventually playing pro.Unfortunately, Muobike was also hyper aware of how the neighbors might be perceiving him.“I thought that whenever I dribble, it made a racket, and people want to sleep or something like that,” he told Global News.Not so. Unbeknownst to the teen, his dribbling wasn’t annoying the neighbors at all. They had noticed how hard he was working and they were inspired.The Missing PieceOne of those neighbors was Ian Ray, who had lived on the street for about 13 years. He noticed Muobike’s skills and was impressed, but he also noticed the teen and his family didn’t own a basketball net. So, he decided to try and raise the funds for one.“He was just a kid who dribbled a basketball — all day, all night,” Ray said. “I kind of figured it would be cool if he had a net.”Ray asked for help on Facebook, and before long, several community members offered their used nets. Ray would have been happy to take them, but then Canadian Tire got wind of the post and decided to donate a new net instead.It didn’t stop there. Cash donations started rolling in, and before Ray knew it he had amassed $750 for the teen to spend at Sport Chek.“I didn’t expect it to blow up like it did, but the north side is a pretty strong community, and everyone is willing to chip in when they have to. It was really nice,” Ray said.A Major SurpriseThe whole time, Muobike had no idea his neighbors were planning this surprise for him. So when Ray showed up at his door one day with a basketball net in a box, he was floored.“Holy moly. I just see the net and it didn’t even matter that it wasn’t built yet, it was just in the box. I was like holy moly, that’s crazy,” he said. “It does touch my heart. It actually just makes me feel happy inside. It just blows my mind. Like wow.”Muobike’s mom, Leticia Muobike, was also touched. The family had moved in about a year prior, and getting a basketball net was on the list of things to do, but they hadn’t managed it quite yet.“I’m speechless. … This means a lot to me and my family,” she said. “I don’t have to see him bounce the ball around anymore. At least he has somewhere to practice and see his dream. This is a dream come true, and I thank everyone who believes in him. … He said he’s going to make everyone proud.”The touching surprise went viral and even LeBron James shared it on his own social media. As far as Muobike is concerned, that’s just even more motivation for him to one day go pro.“I will succeed. I will be in the NBA — 2026. I’ll be there and then try to give back to those people, and I will make them all proud. I will be up on your TV,” he said. “These small things can make you go the whole way.”Investing in KidsOne takeaway from this story is the importance of supporting kids — and teens — when they’re doing something good rather than tearing them down. It would have been easy for a neighbor or two to complain about the constant basketball dribbling in a driveway. Instead, this community recognized a good kid who was staying out of trouble and doing something valuable with his time.It’s a nice little reminder for all of us that when we spend time encouraging kids to foster their interests and help their communities, they can flourish before our eyes. Volunteer to help coach or manage a local sports team or club. Donate money to these organizations when the opportunity presents itself. Or if you see a teen in their driveway practicing hockey, basketball, or any other sport, smile and encourage them to keep doing their best.With that kind of support, one day, they may surprise us all.More from Goalcast:Teen and His Friends Find $50,000 Stuffed in Envelopes on the Road – What They Did Next Left One Person in DisbeliefStranger Overhears Teen Laughing at Elderly Man Crying in the Bathroom – Teaches Him an Important LessonTeen Realizes Something Isn’t Right at a Stop Light – Causes a Car Crash on Purpose to Save Stranger’s Life
Parenting can be difficult, but at the end of the day, the No. 1 thing any parent needs to do a good job is to love and support. Everything else is extra. That means, even if a mother or father doesn’t make a ton of money or give their kids all the bells and whistles, they can still be a successful parent.That’s why one story of a father who sometimes couldn’t put food on the table but still supported his daughter so that she could graduate from college is resonating with so many people.A Man Does His BestA 51-year-old father named Tatay Cristito Quimado doesn’t have much in life, but he has a family, and to him, that is everything. The Filipino garbage collector made headlines after a GMA News article highlighted just how much he loves his family.In the story, the father-of-four explained how he wakes up at 3 a.m. every day in order to get to work at 4 a.m. From there he collects garbage and risks his health due to exposure to various hazards.It’s not the most glamorous job, but it’s a job, and he does it because he — like so many other parents — wants a better life for his kids. He wants them to finish their studies, and he will do whatever it takes to support them in that goal.“It's difficult because I have many children. But even though it's hard, I can handle it. Sometimes we have nothing to eat,” he told the outlet.A Proud FamilyQuimado’s dream came true in April 2018 when his daughter, Jenny Rose Quimado, graduated college with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Food Technology. It has been a long road, but the dad said he is proud of his daughter. Jenny is also proud of how hard her father has worked in order to get her to this position.“Sometimes, he comes home empty-handed, but I thank God that he is my father because his work is honorable. He is not doing anything illegal,” she said.What sticks most with Quimado is that, even though some kids might be ashamed of having a garbage collector as a father, Jenny is proud of his work and knows that hard work is hard work. She also knows what you do for a living doesn’t necessarily define you."When people ask, 'What does your father do?' she answers, 'Garbage collector!' she is not shy," Quimado added.A Dream for the Next GenerationNow that Jenny has graduated college, she wants to start working in order to provide for her siblings and for her father. She wants to be able to take him to nice restaurants and buy him nice clothes.She also wants to set the tone for her siblings, and wants to help her family by putting her salary towards putting them through school, too.“I want to be the one to work so I can educate my siblings,” she added.The family’s story was a huge hit, and before they knew it, others around the world wanted to help them out, too. Quimado’s wife was offered a job at a sari store, and others donated money and gifts to help give them a nice Christmas.That generosity isn’t slowing Quimado down from working as hard as he can to provide though. “For fathers like me, it is our obligation to send our children to school,” he explained in a follow-up GMA News article. “I hope for all of our children.”Following Your DreamsThis story is so sweet because it highlights the importance of family and love. But it also exemplifies the importance of following your dreams, even when things get hard.Getting up that early and collecting other people’s garbage isn’t easy. It’s a hard and demanding gig that offers very low rewards. Yet Quimado does it because he knows it’s for a good cause: realizing his dream of his children graduating from college.It’s a reminder to all of us that when things get hard, don’t give up. Remember your purpose, set goals for yourself, and when life gives you a challenge face it head-on. So long as you have loved ones who will support you along the way, you’re going to be all right.More from Goalcast:Poor Dad Raises His 4 Children Alone After His Wife Abandons Them to Start a New Family With Someone ElseStruggling Single Dad of 4 Owes $168,000 – His Mortgage Provider Makes an Announcement That Shocks Him5-Year-Old Girl Empties Her Entire Piggybank to Help Others – 13 Years Later She Wins $48 Million All Because of Her Grandfather
Not everyone can afford to purchase a home, let alone their dream home. But for one woman in Albuquerque, New Mexico, getting the title to her perfect residence was a lifelong journey — one that started when she was just a little girl.A Special HouseGrowing up, Nichol Naranjo was used to going with her mom, Margaret Gaxiola, to work. Her mom cleaned houses to foot the bills, and the houses she cleaned were much more impressive to Naranjo than the small apartment she and her family shared.One home in particular always stuck out though: a 3,000-square-foot, mid-century home that was stuffed with European antiques and featured an interior courtyard. Naranjo was in awe of the house and everything in it, and would sit under a desk in the library on those Friday afternoons when her mom cleaned.“I could see her wandering room to room, just dreaming about everything in here,” Gaxiola told The New York Times of her daughter’s love for the property.A Special FriendshipEventually, the home became much more to Naranjo. Gaxiola and the home’s owner, Pamela Key-Linden, grew closer as the years wore on. Both women went through divorces and lost people they loved, which helped them to bond even more.At one point, Key-Linden began bringing home trinkets for Naranjo and her sister after trips and wrapping presents for them at Christmas. She’d stock the house with their favorite treats. When the homeowner married for a second time, both girls and their mom were invited to the wedding.“We went into many homes because of my mom’s cleaning,” Naranjo told the publication. “I was able to observe different lifestyles and personalities. No one was like Pam. Pam became like family.”Passing on the HouseIn 2018, Key-Linden died. Gaxiola continued cleaning the house until the following year, when the woman’s second husband, Richard Linden, also passed. At that point, Gaxiola had been cleaning the house for 43 years, so it was hard to turn over her keys to the estate.“That was heartbreaking, and I thought, 'That was half of my life, too,'” Gaxiola said. “I was saying goodbye. This was not a house to clean. It was a second home to come and enjoy.”Shortly after Gaxiola stopped cleaning the house, she learned that the estate planned on selling it. She immediately called her daughter to deliver the news. At the time, Naranjo and her husband had been looking at homes in the neighborhood. Her husband worked in cybersecurity and Naranjo, inspired by the items within the home she loved so much, had gone into design.They contacted the estate and expressed their interest in not only the home but all of its contents. Roughly a year later, due to COVID restrictions, the house was theirs. They had acquired it and nearly everything within it for $472,000.“My whole family's fingerprint is on this home. It was so emotional,” she said. “We've seen some hard times in our life. This was always a place to come and catch our breath. And to dream.”Dare to DreamWe don’t always get the things we dream about in life, but sometimes we do. That’s why this story is so inspiring: growing up, Naranjo had no reason to think that she would one day be the owner of the home she loved so much. But she wasn’t afraid to dream, and when the opportunity presented itself decades later, she jumped on it.It’s a nice reminder for all of us that there’s nothing wrong with dreaming big or hoping for more. Sure, life can bring us down, and there’s a good chance we won't ever be able to achieve all of the things we want. But having a goal to pursue and a purpose in life can also drive us in unexpected and meaningful ways.So dream about that big house, that expensive car, that beautiful baby, or the much-needed trip. One day, those dreams you keep on dreaming may just manifest themselves after all.More from Goalcast:Homeless Student Nurse Couch Surfs to Survive–but Christmas Came Early When She Wins $6M Home in Lottery Man Saves Up For A Year And Surprises Wife With Key To Dream HomeHomeless Man’s Biggest Dream Is to Not Die Alone on the Streets – So a Stranger Raises $20,000 to Get Him a Home
The holidays are a time for family and gathering, but they can also be a difficult time for some people. Single mom Kimaada Ellison knew her five kids were having a hard time without a proper house of their own, particularly with the holidays approaching. So she put one foot in front of the other with the ultimate goal: surprising her kids with a new home for the holidays.Hard TimesOne day, Ellison’s partner of 22 years left her and their five children unexpectedly. It not only left them brokenhearted, but the family lost their home as a result. On her own, Ellison could not afford to pay for the house, and for a while, the entire family had to live in other people’s basements just to keep a roof over their heads.Eventually, after a lot of hard work, Ellison was able to save up for a small, two-bedroom home. It obviously wasn’t big enough for the family but it was theirs, and they made due.Ellison knew she could do better for her kids though, so she set a plan in motion: save up enough money to purchase a bigger home that would be big enough for herself and her five kids.Working OvertimeIt was an ambitious plan, and it wasn’t easy to come up with the money. Ellison had been working towards being a school principal, and she put her education on hold. Instead, she continued working as a teacher and took on side jobs.She got a part-time job with Amazon and began braiding hair for extra cash. She’d work 20 hours every day at her three jobs while still looking after her kids. The idea that she could get them a better home kept her motivated.“I’m not going to say it’s fun, but I just kept thinking about the end result,” Ellison said in a video via Happily. “I re-established my relationship with God, prayed for grit and endurance, and haven’t looked back since then.”An Epic RevealFinally, the day came when Ellison was able to afford the home of her dreams. She told her kids that she had rented an Airbnb that was similar to their old house, where they could get ready for the holidays and bake cookies.When the kids got inside, they saw a framed family photo and wondered how it got there. In the video, Ellison asked her kids if they liked the house.“What if I told you, you could stay forever?” she asked. “What if I told you this is why I’ve been working all this time?”At first, the kids didn’t believe their mom. Then, when they realized they were in their new home, they began screaming with sheer joy. Ellison gave them a tour and showed them their rooms, and the smiles on everyone’s faces were downright contagious.“It’s always easy to give up, but what are you teaching your kids? They hear what you say, for sure. But, most importantly, they are watching what you do,” Ellison said.Following Your DreamEllison herself added that it’s never too late to accomplish your dreams.“It doesn’t mean it will be an easy trek along the journey, and Lord knows you can’t predict all of the twists and turns you encounter or the trials and tribulations you face, but through it all don’t quit,” the mother said.It’s good advice that all of us could use, especially when things get rough. As we head into the new year and begin thinking about all of the things we want to accomplish in the months ahead, it’s important to write down our goals and dreams and think about how we’re going to stick to them.Check in with yourself every once in a while and remind yourself that no one is perfect. But if you can stop to remember why you set those goals for yourself and who you’re ultimately pursuing them for, you may find all the motivation you need to keep going — even when times get tough.More from Goalcast:Man Who Bought His Homeless Friend a Coffee Every Week Gets a Surprise From Him – But Then He Finds Out the TruthSingle Mom Cleans Four Bedroom Home Then Told She Gets to Keep It – Later She Finds Out It Was A “Prank”Single Mom of 6 Has Struggled With Homelessness – So High School Students Plot Together and Come Up With a Plan
Gregor Hunter Coleman received the gift of a lifetime.Pursuing your dreams isn’t always easy, particularly for artists and musicians. Creating and inspiring others may be in your soul, but these types of gigs don’t always pay the bills. That’s why this story of rapper Post Malone helping out a struggling artist has touched so many people: it’s the ultimate story of an artist giving back.A Random MeetingEarlier this year in May, Post Malone was in Glasgow for a show stop on his Twelve Carat tour. He wandered into a pub, where he met a local artist named Gregor Hunter Coleman. The 30-year-old had been performing at the bar that night, and Malone was impressed. He asked if he could buy Coleman a drink.That’s when Malone learned that Coleman had stopped drinking so that he could save his money for a house. Once he had his own kitchen and a fridge, he’d stock it with beer.The artist had enjoyed the performance, and he wanted to do something, though, so he asked if Coleman would consider playing at his concert afterparty.“He started saying, how much will you charge? I said nothing, it's Post Malone, this is the chance of a lifetime,” Coleman later recalled to the BBC.A Sweet OfferColeman didn’t want to take money for the gig, but Malone wasn’t going to have him perform for free, either. So, he offered to pay part of the deposit on the home that Coleman had his eye on.“He offered to help me out with my deposit so I could have more time to focus on music, which I thought was wild,” he told STV. “I’d always heard stories that he was a really nice guy.”The aspiring musician didn’t reveal how much Malone ultimately gave him for his house, but he did say that they exchanged phone numbers. Coleman also posted about the encounter on Instagram.“I never thought whilst heading out the door with my guitar on Friday night for my gig at Wunderbar Glasgow that I’d meet Post Malone and have such a life-changing experience,” he wrote. “The hours spent with this gent chatting and jamming was life-changing in itself, not to mention what followed. This could be my time to hit the ground running.”Following the DreamColeman never expected a musician to show up at his gig that night, and if he did, he certainly didn’t think a well-known figure would like his music and offer him a gig. However, if Coleman hadn’t been pursuing his music while saving for his future, this encounter would have never happened.It’s an important reminder that if you feel like you’re meant to perform or create art, you should find a way to do exactly that. Yes, most of us have bills to pay and responsibilities in life, but carving out time for your passion is also important.Not all celebrities are known to be as nice and generous as Post Malone. But sometimes it’s the breaks we don’t see coming that impact us most of all. So keep one foot in front of the other and carry on. Because in life, you never truly know what might happen next.More from Goalcast:Post Malone Trades Shoes With a Fan at His Concert in Heartwarming Gesture That’s Gone ViralYoung Boy Walks Up to Keanu Reeves and Makes One Simple Request – His Response Makes Headlines5 Incredible Times The Rock Inspired Us to Become the Best Versions of Ourselves
Like many kids his age, 13-year-old Jaequan Faulkner wanted to have his own money to spend. He could have asked for a weekly allowance. He could have saved up his birthday money. But Jaequan wanted to earn that money — and he had an idea. The entrepreneurial young man set up a hot dog stand in front of his house.Most neighbours encouraged the boy. They commended him on his work ethic. They bought his hot dogs and wished him success. Even the local police, out on the streets of Jaequan’s neighborhood in Minneapolis, stopped by for hot dogs. After talking to the young teen, they learned that his efforts were not just to make some pocket change. He also insisted that he wanted to learn what it takes to operate a small business. The officers were impressed and shared Jaequan’s story on social media, encouraging others to support the boy.That’s when 'Mr. Faulkner’s Old Fashion Hot Dogs' became the talk of the town. The little hot dog stand suddenly got very busy. “I didn’t think it would go this far,” admits his uncle, “but I saw that he was very serious about getting started.”But Not Everyone Wanted Him to SucceedDeane BayasBut as quickly as customers poured in to support the young entrepreneur, calls were made to the city to denounce young Jaequan as operating against the law. After all, Jaequan didn’t have a permit.To every adult that once put up a lemonade stand in their childhood, that complaint might seem silly. But city officials had to take it seriously. Any food stand has to have a permit. Permits regulate where such food trucks, carts and stands can be located. They also help control for sanitary conditions and safe food handling.Still, the Minneapolis Environmental Health Director, Dan Huff, did not want to shut down Jaequan’s hot dog stand — and the boy’s dream. Instead, Huff saw it as a learning opportunity. “Let’s turn this situation around and help him become a legitimate business owner,” Huff said.The Little Hot Dog Stand That CouldThat’s when Jaequan’s dream really did come true.Huff helped the boy learn what it really takes to run a business. The director and his team pooled their own money to purchase a 10-day permit for Jaequan’s hot dog stand. They helped the boy set up a tent over his table to protect himself and his customers from the elements. They provided the boy with meat thermometers and showed him how to ensure that the hot dogs he was selling were safe for human consumption. Finally, they set Jaequan up with a hand-washing station and explained the guidelines for safe food handling.Now, the young owner-operator of 'Mr. Faulkner’s Old Fashion Hot Dogs' was running a real business. The phone calls to denounce Jaequan’s small business suddenly stopped coming in. Instead, other community organizations took notice and stepped in to make sure Jaequan’s hot dog stand, like many small businesses, didn’t fizzle out in its first year.The Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON), a nonprofit organization, offered coaching to the boy on all aspects of operating a business, from setting prices to attracting new customers to growing the business. Now, Jaequan has a proper food cart, signage and even a uniform.Hot Dogs and HappinessWhile the business seems to be taking off and the money continues to roll in, Jaequan remains humble and customer-focused. “When I see someone passing by with a frown, and I can turn that into a smile just by selling them a hot dog, that’s my reward.”The support from the community has given Jaequan’s fledgling business new wings. The young teen is more determined than ever to make his business succeed, now that he knows his community is behind him. “Can’t nobody stop you but you!” He exclaims with a big smile.When his hot dog stand was denounced to city officials, they had a choice to make. They could abide by the strict letter of the law and shut it down, or they could help the boy bring it to code. They could squash his dream or they could support it.The permit was just the beginning. It will expire, but when it does, Jaequan already has his calendar filled with new locations that have offered to host him, from the local police station to a church. Jaequan’s community wants to see its newest entrepreneur succeed.“You come out here, he’s got a smile on his face every day,” says a local police officer who works with Bike Cops for Kids. “We love this kid.”Indeed, it seems that everyone does.More from Goalcast:Woman Helps Group of Motorcyclists Who Got Into an Accident – A Year Later, They Show Up at Her Daughter’s Lemonade StandBrave Employee Is Fired After He Stands Up to the Thieves Who Stole From His Store – Outraged Strangers Have the Best ResponseWoman Finds Worn Out Paper She Can’t Understand – Turns to an Unlikely Source to Decipher a Piece of Family History
If you think you're too old to follow your dreams, you might want to think again...For decades, Felipe Espinosa Tecuapetla dreamt of becoming an engineer. And finally, at the ripe young age of 84, the street vendor's dream has come true. How a Poor Street Vendor Beat the Odds and Realized His DreamFelipe's life was marked by hardships from the beginning. Born into a poverty-stricken family in Puebla, Mexico, he began working as a young child.Throughout the years, he took on a number of different jobs, including construction, fieldwork, and enlisting in the army. For the past few years, he's been a street vendor, selling fruit and vegetables at local markets.A widower of 20 years with five children, 10 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, it was his eldest son, an engineer himself, who inspired Felipe to finally put himself — and his dreams — first.But while his son may be his inspiration, it's Felipe who is his family's true source of inspiration.His granddaughter, Erika Pozos Espinosa, told the media: “I am very fortunate to have such a living example. I don’t think anyone else has a grandfather who graduated from college at that age. He’s a source of inspiration.”“It seems incredible to me that at his age, he doesn’t want to waste a single moment of his life,” she added.Felipe was 79 years old when he made the leap and registered as the oldest-ever student at Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. His university journey, like his life, wasn't an easy one. He woke up every day at 4:30 AM to attend classes, taking two buses and traveling up to two hours back and forth. He was the first to arrive on campus and the last one to leave. Additionally, he had to teach himself how to use a computer. All while continuing to sell chiles, tomatoes, onions, lemons, and more at the Tepeaca market. Despite the obstacles, his studies were an incredible time for him and he excelled. What the Octogenarian Has to Say About Following His DreamsAfter five years of study, Felipe completed his degree in process and industrial management engineering.And in a sweet moment of victory captured on video, he was finally, after a lifetime of dreaming, able to ring the university's congratulatory bell.The feat was shared by the BUAP’s president, Dr. Lilia Cedillo Ramírez, on social media. She captioned it: "Don Felipe received his university degree. At the age of 86 he has been an example for everyone and today he concludes another stage in his professional education. We are soooo proud of him. Much success!"And now that he's conquered one dream, he has no plans of stopping. His next step is to start a master's degree. And he's also studying English so that one day he can fulfill another dream — visiting NASA.So how did he do it? The graduate told his university, “self-improvement” was his driving force. (And a whole lot of perseverance). “Overcoming anything is all in the mind, the mind is an incredible thing.”Felipe Espinosa TecuapetlaHe also believes that it truly is never too late, saying, “It is never too late to continue in life. Life is only once, the rest ends when we leave. I beg you, I ask all the young people and all of us, to give it a try." He's not wrong. Life is too short not to be living our dreams. Even if it takes a lifetime (or 80 years or so) to realize them. More from Goalcast:Superbowl Champion Jerome Bettis Never Got His College Degree – So He Goes Back to School to Make Mom ProudEncouraged By Students, School Bus Driver Gets College Degree He Always WantedMom Works Four Jobs for Five Years to Save Money for College – Now Her Son Has Received a Full Scholarship to His Dream School
