[griojw id=”vJWtwxDH” playerid=””]
The founder of popular Atlanta restaurant The Slutty Vegan made headlines this month after helping a Clark Atlanta University junior pay off his outstanding tuition fees. Now she’s back, and doing it again – for 30 more students!
According to the 11Alive, Pinky Cole, along with fellow entrepreneur and CAU alum, Stacey Lee, have pledged to pay the balances of 30 additional students, so they can start their new lives without the dark cloud of debt handing over their heads.
READ MORE:Clark Atlanta students lack housing with classes starting tomorrow
“I’ve been in that situation trying to figure out how you’re gonna pay for school and if it weren’t for me becoming Miss Clark Atlanta University, I might not have been able to graduate,” she explained of her motivations.
“It’s been a really really good day,” said Lee, Wednesday, after the duo met with the students at Harkness Hall to officially make the donation.
“They were genuinely happy and now they can concentrate on their books and hopefully they will pay it forward also,” Lee added. “I think they will.”
READ MORE: Jaden Smith celebrates his birthday by launching free vegan food truck for the homeless
“It just felt good. It felt rewarding,” Cole chimed in. “That’s the biggest reward and success. it’s not the fact that we paid the money but they’re reactions and how they felt.”
“They ‘ll never forget this for the rest of their lives,” she continued. “They’ll remember that people came together to help and support them in achieving their dreams.”
Earlier in the week, Cole helped mass communications major Khalil Perry pay off an estimated $7,000-$8,000 in debt so he could stay in school.
READ MORE:Mississippi students walk out to protest end of faith program
“I just went around asking for help, but I wasn’t getting the help that I needed so I felt like my back was against the wall,” the Houston, Texas native said at the time. “… and so, I didn’t know where I was going to get that money from,”
Fortunately for him, Cole saw his GoFundMe account and contacted him with an offer of support.
“I could not believe it. I could not believe it,” Khalil said. “I literally sat there for about two minutes, man, and I thought about everything that I’ve been through these past couple of weeks. I put my blood sweat and tears into the campaign.”