A Virginia high school student developed a close bond with a janitor at his school and decided to gift the custodian a new pair of Air Jordan 8 sneakers he couldn’t afford.
Tristan McAlister, a senior at Stafford High School, became close friends with Angel Echevarria over the course of two years after striking up a conversation about shoes.
Speaking with NBC News4, the janitor said he’s used to being passed by in school hallways as kids go about their daily school business.
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“It’s normally mean mugs and shoulder shrugs where I come from,” Echevarria said.
However, McAlister made an effort to get to know the custodian.
“Angel’s one of those people that was always smiling, saying ‘God bless. Have a good day,’” the student said. “We started getting into shoes and what he did, and we started talking about sports. And we had a really good connection there.”
McAlister told NBC that he recently asked his janitor friend what shoes he should buy.
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“He said ‘You should buy the Jordan 8s,’” the student said of the conversation. “I said ‘Oh really, do you have a pair?’ and he said ‘I got four kids, I can’t shop for myself.’”
So, McAlister decided to surprise his friend with a new pair of kicks, a surprise that was captured on video.
“I can’t believe you, buddy, you’re too much, brother,” Echevarria said.
The janitor told NBC that he had been homeless for about four years before he met his wife and began working at the high school.
“Just to be able to know that he would be able to bless me with what he did was just amazing,” Echevarria said. “It truly touched my heart.”