SAN ANTONIO – The nerves of a new school year amid a pandemic vanished away for one North Side ISD eighth grader thanks to a unique offer.
The teen, Marcus Clay, was nominated to ride in the passenger seat of a brand new sports car as a way to bring joy and get him excited about the new school year while boosting his confidence.
Anthony Guiteau, received his car weeks ago after a long wait.
“This is the 2021 Corvette C8,” Guiteau said. “It is quite a long waiting list for the car. I put in the order for it last year, and it just came to me about four weeks ago.”
His first thought was to share his new car with the community in a unique way.
“Why not just give the opportunity for these kids to see something awesome and just inspire them to do better and to be great,” Guiteau said.
Guiteau made a post on Facebook during the summer asking for student nominations.
“Preferably a child who has anxiety going into the new year or has been bullied in the past years,” Guiteau wrote on the post. “I want to be able to provide them with a pep talk as we ride into the new year in style. Our children are our future and would love to help motivate in anyway I can.”
Hundreds of nominations came in from parents and friends. Guiteau ultimately chose Clay, an eighth grader at Bernal Middle School. Clay, 13, is diagnosed with autism and ADHD Combined and suffers from anxiety. He was nominated by his single mother, Sherrika Clay.
“It’s kind of anxiety situation where he’s kind of like an outcast a little bit,” Guiteau said. “So, I just want to give him an opportunity to, you know, bring some shine to him.”
The two had a chance to meet privately ahead of the first day of school. Sherrika was so thankful that her son was chosen for the fun experience. She’s confident this is the boost he needed.
“It felt like good, but I was kind of shocked at the same time,” Marcus said. ”Shocked, like, because I, I I didn’t think it would be true.”
Guiteau hopes the experience will keep Marcus motivated and confident throughout the school year. Guiteau plans to continue finding ways to inspire his community.