*An Atlanta Uber driver is finishing her college degree thanks to the generosity of a passenger she met during a ride.
Latonya Young, 43, is speaking about the one ride-share user who changed her life after picking him up following an Atlanta United soccer game.
“This one changed my life,” Young told CNN affiliate WSB-TV of Kevin Esch’s random act of kindness. “That one ride.”
Young disclosed to Esch that she had to drop out of Georgia State University due to an unpaid balance of $700 — a fee she was unable to afford, PEOPLE reports.
“Every time I got ready to pay the money, my kids needed something,” she recalled to the outlet. “I said, ‘Okay, I’ll just wait.’”
“I told him I was a hairstylist [during the day] but the hair business is slow, so I planned on working that weekend to pay my way back into school,” Young shared with CNN Full Circle.
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Days after their encounter, Esch decided to go to Georgia State University and pay off Young’s balance.
The college later called Young with the surprising news and she was now able to register for classes.
“I was literally blown away,” she told WSB. “A stranger has never done that — or done anything like that — for me.”
Thanks to a total stranger’s random act of kindness, Young fulfilled her educational goals.
“When he paid the balance, I had to do this for him,” Young explained to WSB. “I maintained my grades. As and Bs. Just trying to do everything to make sure he knows I appreciate him.”
Latonya Young’s Uber passenger paid nearly $700 to Georgia State last summer to release a financial hold that had prevented her from attending school for years.https://t.co/xVF11o8g97
— Good Morning America (@GMA) January 2, 2020
In December, Young graduated — having earned her associate degree in criminal justice and Esch was there to support. She shared a photo of them together at the graduation ceremony on Facebook.
“You never know who God will send to change your life??” Young captioned the images. “All thanks to the man upstairs…I had my son at a young age.. dropped out of high school.. ?… but It’s not how you start in life… it’s how you finish!!❤️ I’m encouraging you all that need an extra push not to give up.”
Later this month, she will begin working towards her bachelor’s degree. Young hopes to one day become a lawyer.
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