TSR Positive Images: For those familiar with #PinkyCole and her generosity, especially in the Atlanta community, is nothing new but it should still be celebrated. The Slutty Vegan founder helped pay the balances of 30 #ClarkAtlantaUniversity seniors so they could graduate.
It all started when Pinky, who’s a Clark Atlanta alum, made a life-changing donation to help one student stay in school after spotting the student’s GoFundMe page, according to 11 Alive. Pinky and Stacey Lee, another restaurant owner who graduated from Clark, then came together to bless some more students.
“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,” Pinky said.
The pair met with the students today to formally gift them. “They were genuinely happy and now they can concentrate on their books and hopefully they will pay it forward also,” Lee, who is co-owner of Harlem Hops in New York City, added. “I think they will.”
“It just felt good. It felt rewarding,” Pinky said. “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.”
The students hugged and thanked the women for their generosity and life-changing contributions.
“And it’s how you make people feel,” Pinky added. “They ‘ll never forget this for the rest of their lives. They’ll remember that people came together to help and support them in achieving their dreams.”
Earlier in the week, Pinky helped Khalil Perry, a junior studying mass communications at Clark Atlanta.
Perry needed help clearing what he estimated was about $7,000 to $8,000 in debt so he could stay in school.
Perry told 11Alive’s Nick Sturdivant that without the help, he would have had to return to his home state of Texas.
He had posted a GoFundMe to help raise the funds and that’s what caught Pinky’s attention.
It’s great to see two Black business owners support their community and invest in the future!