She was a shining light...

Michael Lacey hasn't had it easy over the past few decades, having served 21 years in prison until his release three years ago. But during that time, there were still moments of goodness and light. One of them was all the time he spent with his GED teacher, Ms. Rice. Recently he gave her a surprise visit and documented the entire reunion on Tik Tok. It happened after he ran into Ms. Rice's roommate at a photography gig. Together, they came up with a plan for him to show up on her doorstep unexpected. He was nervous at first, but as soon as the door opened, he knew he had nothing to worry about.

The sweet teacher immediately exclaimed, "Mr. Lacey?" Between laughter and tears, she adds, "How are you? Well, come in, come in!" Lacey isn't the first person whose life she changed. He said, "I've seen her help more than 300 inmates get their GED. She never judged any of us. She was a shining light in that dark place."