In 2019, a story went viral about a young Florida boy who made his own University of Tennessee T-shirt and was bullied for it. Afterward, his teacher asked the internet if anyone had connections to the college so she could get him some official merchandise from the school. When the school found out, not only did they design the shirt for the charity, but they offered him a full four-year college scholarship. The story has recently resurfaced on social media, and it's still warming hearts.
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Laura Snyder, who was the boy's teacher at Altamonte Elementary School in Altamonte Springs, Florida, at the time, posted about her student's homemade U of Tenn. T-shirt for "College Colors Day." In a Facebook post, Snyder wrote, "When the day finally arrived, he was SO EXCITED to show me his shirt. I was impressed that he took it one step further to make his own label." But things changed by lunchtime.
"Some girls at the lunch table next to his (who didn’t even participate in college colors day) had made fun of his sign that he had attached to his shirt. He was DEVASTATED," she wrote. She then added that she wanted to get him an official shirt, asking if she knew anyone affiliated with the school to "make it a little extra special for him."
Within a day, the story had gone viral, and someone stepped up to get the young boy something special. In fact, the University of Tennessee heard the story and sent him a whole box of swag. "My student was so amazed at all the goodies in the box,” she said. “He proudly put on the jersey and one of the many hats in the box. All who saw had either goosebumps or tears while we explained that he had inspired and touched the lives of so many people," she wrote.
Not only did the school send him a box of swag, they turned his homemade design into an actual piece of official merchandise. Additionally, a portion of the sale of each shirt was going to an anti-bullying organization. And they didn't stop there. Days later, the school announced that they were offering him admission and a scholarship for college when the time came.
"In recognition of the fourth-grader's Volunteer spirit, the university has extended an offer of admission for him to join the Class of 2032," the university said in a press release. "In addition, he has been awarded a four-year scholarship covering his tuition and fees beginning fall 2028 should he decide to attend UT and meet admission requirements."
Recently, the story resurfaced on social media, thanks to the Pubity Instagram account, and people are finding it just as heartwarming as they did the first time around.
"When this happened and they sold remakes of his shirt, i bought one and it STILL brings a smile to my face when i wear it! ," someone shared.
"I love this! And it’s actually a cool design! Kids are some of the biggest haters ever. Hope this taught them a lesson. So glad this worked out positively for the kid. ❤️," one person commented.
"It goes to show that good things happen to good people. Be kind and the universe will reward you tenfold!!!" another comment read.
