Students in Galesburg, Illinois, were in for a surprise Wednesday.
The guitar class at Lombard Middle School had been practicing the song "Carry On" by country artist Jake McVey all week. They never expected, though, that McVey himself would walk into their classroom.
"He walked in, and we had the video of him on, playing to it, and we put two and two together. He was, like, right there!" said eighth grader Nathan McLaughlin.
McVey is a singer and guitar player who has opened for names like Martina McBride, Jason Aldean and Sugarland, sometimes to crowds of more than 20,000 people. He has smalltown roots, though, growing up on a farm in Iowa and attending school with Lombard principal Nick Sutton. The pair kept in touch, and when Sutton asked McVey to surprise his students, McVey jumped at the chance.
"It was fun, always fun. You know, you never know what you're getting into," laughed McVey.
In front of a couple hundred screaming middle schoolers, McVey performed some of his original songs, covered Zac Brown Band's "Chicken Fried," and even belted out a rendition of "Jingle Bells."
When McVey sang "Carry On," the Lombard guitar class played backup.
"I was kind of nervous at first, but it was worth it," said eighth grader Kobe Ramirez.
"It was really awesome... just something you can tell about later in life, ya know?" said McLaughlin.
McVey also encouraged the students to set goals and chase their dreams, saying sometimes you have to take a leap of faith.
"I was actually working at an insurance company, believe it or not. I was doing fires and water damage, things of that nature," said McVey. "I sold everything I had and bought a tour bus. I figured, sink or swim, ya know? Luckily enough, I fell afloat."
Now, he hopes these Galesburg students will find their passion, too.
"For me, it's what I was made to do, and I love doing it every single day that I can," said McVey.