Student Surprises Teacher With The Sneakers He's Always Wanted

Hector Montez surprised his teacher with a pair of classic Air Jordans

Teenagers might act like they’re too cool to pay attention to anything we say, but every now and then they do something that proves not only do they listen to adults when we speak, but they actually care about us too. Case in point? Hector Montez, a student at Coronado High School in Lubbock, Texas, shocked his football coach/AVID teacher Thomas Walser last week by gifting him a pair of classic Air Jordans. Walser had mentioned once years ago that he always wanted a pair of the iconic sneakers, and Montez filed that information away to pull off the perfect surprise.

In a video taken by another student, Montez approaches Walser with the shoe box and says,“You told me sophomore year this is your favorite shoe and you told me your size, but you don’t even remember.” When Walser opened the box, he was in shock. “Oh man, what? And they are my size. I’ve wanted these since I was in sixth grade and I never got ‘em,” he says, before the two hug it out.

From what Montez says in the video clip, about how his coach might not even remember mentioning the shoes, it seems possible that the conversations about the Jordans was just something that happened in passing between the two of them. But seeing as how Montez calls Walser the man who’s, “always been by my side,” it’s obvious that Walser has had a huge impact in Montez’s life. And when that happens, even the little conversations — like mentioning the shoes you always wanted as a kid but never got — tend to stick with you.

While any teen who takes the time to thank their teacher is a good egg that we should be proud of, a pair of classic Air Jordans aren’t nearly as cheap as buying your teacher some flowers or a box of Godiva with a Thank You card. Montez probably had to save up for the sneakers, meaning he must have been planning this gift for quite a while.

Sneakers, and the Air Jordans in particular, are seen as a status symbol in many high schools. Walser sharing with his student how he always wanted them but never got a pair in his own high school days perhaps struck a chord, that feeling of wanting a certain accessory to fit in. Maybe this gift was one part awesome footwear and one part trying to make a teacher feel the self-confidence he’s helped Montez feel.

Not only were the shoes a perfect fit, but lucky for Walser they’re still in style.

H/T: Huffington Post