An Atlanta entrepreneur is paying it forward to struggling college students at her alma mater.

Slutty Vegan owner Pinky Cole will pay off tuition balances for 30 seniors at Clark Atlanta University, reports WXIA.


She teamed up with fellow alum and Harlem Hops co-owner Stacey Lee to help the student so they could graduate without any obstacles. Cole knows the struggle of coming up with tuition.

"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 probably wouldn't have been able to graduate," she recalled.

Lee was glad to help because she wanted the students to be able to get their education without being stressed out about money.

"They were genuinely happy and now they can concentrate on their books and hopefully they will pay it forward also," Lee said. "I think they will."

The pair went to Clark Atlanta on Wednesday to deliver the good news to a relieved group of students. Some of them were reduced to tears.

Cole’s generosity started on last Friday when she encountered a GoFundMe account from Clark Atlanta student Khalil Perry. Perry needed between $7,000 and $8,000 to finish school.

View this post on Instagram

Here at Slutty Vegan, we do more than just serve burgers and fries. Khalil Perry will not have to give up on his dreams of continuing his education due to financial limitations because we were able to help him get back into school. . Let’s all drop a word of encouragement to help Khalil get through a successful school year. ???????????? . ????: @shootwitjae . ???? We do not own the rights to this music.???? . . #sluttyveganatl #sluttyvegan #slutsofinstagram #vegan #slutburger #thesluttytakeover #veganburger #vegantakeover #burgers #atl #atlanta #veganislife #slutnation #slutsonthemove #slutmobile #veganstastebetter #veganislife #sluttified #getsluttified #fortheculture #eatplants #atlshawty #eatplantsyaslut #eatplantsbitch

A post shared by Slutty Vegan ATL (@sluttyveganatl) on

“I literally just posted it and asked for help. And the right person saw it,” he said. “Pinky, she hit me up in my DM and she was like, ‘What’s going on with school?’”

Perry eventually met Cole and she offered to help him out.

“I could not believe it. I could not believe it,” Perry 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.”

The experiences are fulfilling for Cole.

"It just felt good. It felt rewarding," Cole 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."

In January 2019, Cole’s Slutty Vegan took the Atlanta food scene by storm when she turned her food truck into a brick-and-mortar store in the West End neighborhood. The restaurant usually has a line wrapped around the building. The brand has several famous fans including T.I., Will Smith and Taraji P. Henson. Cole plans to open two more locations, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.