Art Bouvier, the owner of a New Orleans-inspired restaurant located in Indianapolis saw a young man trudging through the early morning snow and ice last week. The teen stopped to ask Bouvier — who owns Papa Roux Po Boys and Cajun Food– how much further it might be to his final destination and was told it was six to seven miles.

“He thanked me and continued on,” Bouvier, who also goes by Papa, wrote of the encounter in a now viral Facebook post. “He could have asked me for money for a bus. In fact I quite expected him to. He didn’t. He just started walking.”

Art (or Papa) Bouvier (Image: Fox 59 screenshot)

To a local news station, Fox 59, Bouvier added that the teen later said he wouldn’t have money for a bus ride until he got a job.

Fifteen minutes later, Bouvier continued in his post, he was in the car and told his wife to pull over when he spotted the teen — still walking.

That’s when he found out the 18-year-old named  Jhaqueil Reagan had intended to walk a full 10 miles for a job interview. The Bouviers gave Reagan a ride the rest of the distance — but that’s not all.

“I’m thinking to myself, here’s a kid walking almost 10 miles in the ice and slush and snow for the hope of a job at minimum wage,” Bouvier told Fox 59. “That’s the kind of story your parents used to tell, my parents used to tell, up both ways in the snow.”

Bouvier took Reagan’s phone number advising him to keep the interview, but noted he would see if he could hire him at Papa Roux. Bouvier wrote that he also asked Reagan if he had eaten that day — he hadn’t.

“I gave him money for lunch and dropped him at the 10th and Sherman Dairy Queen. I think he was in shock,” Bouvier wrote on Facebook.

“So, he doesn’t know it yet, but he starts with us on Monday. It’s been a while since I’ve met someone so young with a work ethic like that!”

Fox 59 had Reagan’s reaction to the news:

“I’m lucky I met him,” Reagan said. “I’m really lucky I met him.”

Reagan said it’s been hard finding opportunities. He was forced to quit school two years ago when his mother died. He completed his GED while staying home to care for his siblings.

Now that he has a job, and a following on Facebook?

“It’s crazy. I don’t even know. It’s really crazy,” Reagan said. “My heart’s just racing right now. I’m just too excited, just excited to start.”

“I can show you the ropes tonight if you want. We’re really busy in there,” Papa said to Reagan.

“Thank you very much,” Reagan said.

Jahqueil Reagan (Image: Fox 59 screenshot)

By The Blaze

Categories: Human interest, news