A Jelly Roll fan asked if he could pay her $40,000 college tuition fees — she was in for a major surprise
In addition to his talent and range as a singer, country music star and rapper Jelly Roll also wins hearts with his philanthropic endeavors. Joy Gadalla had a tough month leading up to a Jelly Roll concert at Skydeck on Broadway. She was at the hospital taking care of her grandmother and desperately needed a break. The woman also had other concerns on her mind, one of which was how to pay for college tuition at Belmont University. She wants to be a criminal lawyer but the cost of education at $40,000 a year left her confused.
So when she went to the concert, the Jelly Roll fan decided to try her luck. Gadalla wrote ‘Please pay my tuition’ on her phone and stood as close to the stage as possible, hoping for the popular country singer to notice it. She might have thought it would be a long wait but it only took the musician the duration of his first song to see the sign. Once he saw it, Jelly Roll was more than happy to oblige and pay the tuition fees.
"We're gonna talk about what college you go to, what your GPA is, and if all of that checks out, we will help you get through school," he said as per Market Realist as the crowd took videos of her shocked but happy reaction. This was a moment of immense joy for Gadalla who had a tough life growing up. Her parents had emigrated from Egypt in search of a better life but she had to struggle with bullying at school.
The pressure was just too much and she completed her schooling online, but now it was time for college. The bullying and stress forced her to turn to alcohol as a relief and she developed a problem as she was managing her way through school. It was Jelly Roll’s music that helped her navigate one of the darkest periods of her life and the singer just made things a whole lot better by agreeing to pay for her education.
This is not the first time the musician has helped out his fans. He did something similar during one of his shows in Lafayette, Louisiana when he donated $10,000 to a couple for their honeymoon. It was once again his keen eye for detail that helped him spot a ‘Just Married’ sign in the audience. It turns out that the couple had eloped to get married on the day of the show.
“Have you thought about where you want to go on your honeymoon yet?” the musician asked according to YouTuber @joelmartinmastery. When the couple said that they did not have anything planned as such, Jelly Roll made the incredible gesture, getting a massive cheer from the audience. It was yet another one of his many gestures that has won the hearts of thousands around the world.
He often performs at charity events for free and even donated a studio to the juvenile detention center where he was taken as a kid. Coming from humble beginnings, he understands the power of the platform he has today and consistently uses it to give back to the community and his fans.