This high schooler from Dixie donated a school bus full of supplies to a Mexican school so that its students can go home every day, rather than choosing between hours of walking home or staying in school until the next day.
The amazing and kind high school senior Dylan Ence said that this is his four-year school bus project. Seeing buses parked outside of his Dixie High School in St. George isn’t unusual; however, one bus was different on a Friday night.
It didn’t have the colors or the size as the other buses. The No. 65 bus was different because of its direction.
A Trip to Mexico Changed His Life, Said Ence
While a freshman, Ence visited a school in a small and remote village in Mexico or Patamban Michoacan. He explained that this trip was life-changing. He was shocked by how many things their school and education were missing out on.
The children had to stay in school for a week.
This hurt him pretty bad and he knew that he wanted to offer his help so that the kids could go back home from school every day. This inspired him to start collecting money for a school bus.
When he saw these kids, he was eager to help them out because he felt ‘why does the US have to be superior and have all of these nice stuff’ and why don’t we provide them with some of this nice stuff.
Raising Money for the Bus for the Past Four Years
In order to make his dream a reality, Ence had to raise money for four years. Together with his family, they found one bus in Minnesota and drove it back to St. George. The boy also gathered money to purchase school supplies for the Mexican students.
The boxes with supplies in the back of the bus had pens, books, pencils, and paper. During the Christmas break, he and his family drove the bus to the village to donate it to the students there.
They met with the school district representatives at the border with Mexico. This is so that they can escort them so that they don’t have much trouble when arriving there. This is because it’s not entirely safe to go to Patamban Michoacan and through Mexico when you’re an American.
His Family Is very Proud of what He’s Achieved
Despite the risks, his mom is very proud of him and all of the effort he’s put into gathering the money, but also the necessary paperwork and documents so he can make the trip to Mexico.
She added that if everyone does a small gesture, our world would definitely be a better place. When asked about her son, she says that his heart is soft and he’s trying to make a difference.
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