Some people find it easy to complain about anything in college, like saying “I’m starving,” even though you ate a full meal just a few hours ago. Then there are the students out there who would’ve given anything to have that meal, and work against all odds to get an education. Fred Barley, a 19-year-old biology major at Gordon State College in Barnesville, Ga., is one of those students.
Barley defied his circumstances of being homeless in order to continue his college education. He biked six hours on his little brother’s child-sized bicycle from his hometown of Conyers to his college in order to register for his second semester of classes, local CW-affiliate KTLA 5 reported.
Dorms were not scheduled to open for a few more weeks, so he pitched a tent in a wooded area of campus thinking it was likely the safest place to stay. With him were two duffel bags of his belongings, a box of cereal and a gallon of water. This was his home at night, while he spent the daytime hours searching for a job. However, his plans were disrupted when police received a call of someone trespassing on the property. He was then asked to leave his tent, but not before officers heard out his story.
Instead of ticketing him, the responding officers paid for a two night stay at a local motel. But that was only the beginning of a domino effect of generosity. One of the officer’s wives shared Barley’s story on Facebook, and plenty others were eager to help.
With the assistance of supporter Casey Blaney and the motel owner, Barley’s stay at the motel was paid for until the dorms opened on July 18. Donations of a new bike, school supplies and clothing flooded in. He was even offered a job at the local pizzeria by the owner, Debbie Adamson.
“I created a position for him before he walked in my door,” Adamson said. “I didn’t know his name. I didn’t know the color of his skin. I didn’t care. I’ve been there so I guess I had a soft spot for anyone who is that determined to succeed in life.”
With so many people wanting to support Barley, the GoFundMe page Blaney set up for him has accumulated over $180,000. Barley publicly stated in a video how blown away he is with the amount of support. “More important than everything—the clothes, the shoes—the relationships mean so much more to me,” Barley said.
“I love you all, and I want to make all of you guys proud,” he said in the video. Barley has promised to repay his supporters back with good grades and success, of which he is SO deserving.