One Pennsylvania Man s Act of Kindness Goes Viral
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"I asked him, ‘Do you have a suit?’ and he said, ‘No, I can't afford a suit,'” says Johnston, a health systems director for pharmaceutical company Indivior. “He was such a nice kid. There was something about him that touched us." The next day, Johnston asked Phillips to meet him at the Men's Warehouse store. While trying on a suit there, Phillips teared up when he overheard Johnston tell the sales associate to make it two suits. “I was actually crying,” Phillips says. “One, he spent a lot of money. Two, he was a complete stranger. Nobody outside of my family had done anything to that extent." Entertainment 30% off a 1-year subscription See more Entertainment offers > Fred Wienecke, Phillips’ team leader at Keller Williams in Erie, says Phillips definitely shows that hustle and determination that Johnston spotted.
"Michael has a big vision and tremendous drive as to what he wants to do,” Wienecke says. “There's not that many people of that age who have that drive and understanding."
Act of Kindness Goes Viral for Budding Real Estate Agent and His Mentor
Chance meeting with benefactor kickstarts career of once-homeless young professional
Courtesy of Scot Johnston Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. The two first met this fall when Johnston, 53, and his wife interviewed potential real estate agents to help sell their large Erie, Pennsylvania, home . Phillips, 22, was one of those agents. Johnston told him he was looking to work with someone with “hustle." "I said, ‘If you want hustle, you're looking at it,’ “ Phillips says. “I told him I was homeless when I was studying for my [real estate] license."Living out of his car
The young Phillips moved from his hometown of Philadelphia to Erie about 18 months ago to study accounting and finance at Gannon University. But he dropped out after a year. “I just felt that college was moving a little too slow for me,” Phillips says. “I realized that real estate was the life for me." In the spring, Phillips decided to study for his real estate license. He took the exam in July and passed. In the interim, however, he lost his school housing. “I didn't have anywhere to stay, but I had a car,” Phillips says. So, he lived in his 2003 Chevrolet Tracker from late May through early August. He also worked, delivering pizzas to pay for gas, food and about $350 in real estate-course and related fees — and to save for a down payment on rent. "I knew being homeless was temporary,” recalls Phillips, who is a first-generation American. “I planned to do it for a week or two, but that turned into a month or two. What I had to go through was better than what my family lived through in Liberia before coming here."Meeting a generous friend
Impressed by Michael Phillips (left), who lived out of his car to save money and pay for his real estate license, Scot Johnston bought him a more professional wardrobe. Courtesy Scot Johnston Then, life began to improve for Phillips. He saved enough money to rent an apartment in August and he began working as an independent contractor for Keller Williams Realty Inc. in September, but he still . He wore sneakers to Johnston's home for the interview."I asked him, ‘Do you have a suit?’ and he said, ‘No, I can't afford a suit,'” says Johnston, a health systems director for pharmaceutical company Indivior. “He was such a nice kid. There was something about him that touched us." The next day, Johnston asked Phillips to meet him at the Men's Warehouse store. While trying on a suit there, Phillips teared up when he overheard Johnston tell the sales associate to make it two suits. “I was actually crying,” Phillips says. “One, he spent a lot of money. Two, he was a complete stranger. Nobody outside of my family had done anything to that extent." Entertainment 30% off a 1-year subscription See more Entertainment offers > Fred Wienecke, Phillips’ team leader at Keller Williams in Erie, says Phillips definitely shows that hustle and determination that Johnston spotted.
"Michael has a big vision and tremendous drive as to what he wants to do,” Wienecke says. “There's not that many people of that age who have that drive and understanding."