Rachel Jeantel, the 19-year old girl who was the last person to speak to Trayvon Martin the night he was killed–and was on the phone with him when George Zimmerman shot him–has been offered a full ride to college by a radio talk show host.
After seeing Jeantel blasted during her time on the stand by prosecutors and members of the media, radio host Tom Joyner said he wanted to help her move past the most difficult months of her young life. Jeantel was scrutinized by the press for the way she spoke, her reactions to questions while on the stand, and her frank manner during the trial of George Zimmerman. Some said she was almost treated as a criminal, herself, during an exceptionally hard time that included reliving her friend’s last moments on Earth.
“We talked to her people today and it’s going to take some work, first of all to get her a high school diploma, and get her ready for the SAT test, and then entered into college. But we are going to do that,” Joyner said. “She deserves a chance.”
Joyner made the offer to Jeantel on Tuesday, and she thanked him and said it was her dream to go into law enforcement.
“Rachel, here’s my offer to you. If you want to graduate from high school and go to an HBCU, even if it’s not in Florida but especially Florida … If you want to do that, I want to help you do that,” Joyner said. “I will help you get tutors to get you out of high school, tutors to help you pass the SAT, and I will give you a full-ride scholarship to any HBCU you’d like.”
Jeantel said in a recent interview that she is “disappointed, sad, and angry” over the Zimmerman verdict. When asked what she thought might be going through Zimmerman’s head that night, she didn’t hesitate to give an answer.
“I’m finally going to get one,” she said.