When Walter Carr, a Birmingham student, found out his car broke down the day before he was to start his first day at a new job, he did not let this stop him from getting there on time.
Instead, the young man walked. And walked. And walked. All the way from his house in Homewood to Pelham, Alabama, Walter walked overnight, in the dark, for more than 20 miles just so he would not be late on his first day of work.
“This was the first job in a long time to give me an opportunity to get hired,” he said in an interview. “I wanted to show them I got the dedication. I said I’m going to get to this job one way or another.”
Walter just recently joined with Bellhops moving company where his job was to assist people in moving their house. His first ever clients were Jenny Lamey and her husband Chris, whose home was some 20 miles away from Walter’s.
The Carver High School graduate and U.S. Marine hopeful started his trek around midnight on Friday and managed to get to Hoover by 2 a.m. and then to Pelham at 4 a.m.
It was in Pelham when Walter was spotted by 4 police officers who found out about his incredible journey.
They took him to breakfast and even told him to buy some takeout for his lunch later in the day.
After learning of Walter’s feat, Jenny Lamey set up a GoFundMe account to give the inspirational young man the help he needs to do even more amazing things with his life.
An emotional Jenny Lamey hugged Walter and told him: “You’ve changed all of our lives Walter. You have no idea how many lives you’ve changed and inspired.”
She added, “You’re a very special young man and you’re going to do great things. You already are.”
Eventually, word of Walter’s dedication to his work got to Bellhops CEO Luke Marklin.
So the 32-year-old Harvard MBA grad drove in from Tennessee under the pretense of having a coffee with Walter to personally thank him.
But the true purpose of the meeting? To surprise Walter with Luke’s own barely-driven 2014 Ford Escape.
“I am honestly blown away by him,” the CEO said. “Everything he did that day is exactly who we are – heart and grit. So far, he’s batting 1,000.”
Walter could only manage to say one word when his boss handed him the keys: “Seriously?”