A six-year-old boy who went viral last month after a picture of him posing for a school photo in a face mask was posted to social media is looking forward to a bright future.
Mason Peoples was the talk of Facebook last month after his mother, Nicole Peoples, shared his adorable first-grade photo to her profile.
The picture featured Mason with much of his face obscured by one of the masks designed to slow the spread of Covid-19 in schools. Alongside the image, Peoples shared details of her son’s exchange with the photographer that day.
According to the post, Mason refused to take his mask off for the picture, explaining to the photographer: “My mom said to keep it on all the time unless I’m eating and far away from everybody.”
When the photographer replied that he felt sure it would be okay to remove it for the picture, Mason was unmoved. “No, my mom seriously told me to make sure to keep it on,” he said.
Even after the photographer asked for a third time, Mason stood firm, politely responding: “No Thank you, I always listen to my mom!”
While the resulting photo of Mason may not have been what Nicole was expecting, she said she was “proud of him for sticking to his word” even if she “should have been more clear about my rules on this day.”
The post, which first appeared on Facebook back on September 20, has generated 26,000 reactions on the platform with fans flocking to praise Peoples and her son.
“You should be proud,” Alis Meece wrote. ” It has to be hard to stand up to an adult but he had the confidence to stand up for what he thought was right. Good job mama!”
“I love it!” Leia Anderson agreed. “What an incredible keepsake from this crazy era we’re living through.”
“That’s hilarious!” Jennifer Robinson added. “I wish some of my students were that committed to wearing their masks.”
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In an update to her original post, added after the picture went viral, Peoples said that she and her son had been left “overjoyed” and “in awe” of the heartfelt responses to it.
“He has read so many of your comments with the biggest smile on his face,” she said. “Thank you for showing him that his honesty and integrity will make a big difference in this world.”
Peoples added that many had since reached out to her asking to send money to go towards gifts and funding Mason’s future college education.
As a result, she created a GoFundMe account so the public could do just that.
The response has been nothing short of incredible.
On Friday, GoFundMe tweeted out an update confirming more than $20,000 had been donated to the fund.
“Adorable news alert: the internet has raised $27,000 for 6-year-old Mason’s college fund after his school photo went viral for all the right reasons,” the tweet announced.
Adorable news alert: the internet has raised $27,000 for 6-year-old Mason’s college fund after his school photo went viral for all the right reasons. pic.twitter.com/GwOx60SbdC
— GoFundMe (@gofundme) October 1, 2021
Since then, the fund has reached over $33,000 and counting with donors flocking to send their best wishes to the youngster.
“Very proud of you Mason,” Olga Jaramilo wrote on the GoFundMe page. “Your picture is adorable 🙂 Wishing you a very bright future…..You are very smart, respectful and I can tell your mom is super cool :)”
“I love that he was so firm that he said… No, thank you,” Carmen Langen commented. “Congrats on having a wonderful, smart, well mannered young man.”
“Mason, you’re such a good listener,” Elizabeth Ort added. “Always be a leader, not a follower.”
Newsweek has contacted Nicole Peoples for comment.
JNemchinova/Getty
