Heartfelt Gesture: How a Student Made a Difference for His 77-Year-Old Teacher in the Pandemic Era

The past year has been particularly challenging for many, but one group that had to quickly adapt to the new normal were teachers.

As schools transitioned to remote learning, they had to adjust and change their teaching methods. "In practice, this meant that many teachers, like our own, felt that the education system no longer needed them," said a student named Steven Noah, who recently gained attention for a very generous act he did for his 77-year-old teacher.

"My teacher, Jose Villareal, felt that his role was outdated and had nothing to offer with the advanced technology. He was not going to start learning how to operate computers and phones, and he felt it was time to retire," Steven shared.

However, troubles began right after his retirement. "I believed it was the right time because I saw the school situation completely changing and felt I had nothing more to contribute to my role," Jose explained. "I managed to organize all my paperwork to receive a pension and got my check - but until it arrived, I accumulated considerable debt.

His financial situation worsened to the point where he had to live out of his car. "At some point, all the students at school heard about his situation, and even those who were no longer in school knew Jose 'lost it.' It pained me to see him in this state, and I wanted to do something to help.

"It broke my heart to see what this pandemic did to people I know. There are many teachers I know who are out of work. It's sad to see one of my most beloved teachers go through such a thing," said 21-year-old Steven.

Thinking of ways to help, he set up a fundraising page for his teacher, accompanied by a video telling Jose's story, which quickly went viral. "I don't think we should forget the teachers who did so much for us and made sure to provide us with knowledge to help us in life," he said in the video.

This week, the two met, and Steven handed his beloved teacher a check for $27,000 - from the donations he raised.

"My initial thought was 'Am I dreaming?!'" said Jose, as tears of emotion filled his eyes.