During a live on-air interview, the “Rickey Smiley Morning Show” surprised a Jackson State University student with a foundation scholarship to pay the balance of her fall tuition.
Freshman Gayle Martin, 18, a computer engineering major from Dallas, was selected based on her determination to overcome hardships and pursue her college degree. She wrote an emotionally stirring letter to the Rickey Smiley Foundation detailing her struggles.
At age 7, she was placed in foster care and separated from her two siblings. Although she reunited with her family at age 12, her household circumstances became complicated, and she essentially was left homeless.
Martin was unaware that her phone conversation was being broadcast live on-air when she spoke to Smiley because university advisers kept it a secret. She realized it only after the call had ended and was instantly flushed with heart-warming emotions. And, after hearing the recording the next day, she said, “I’m filled through the roof with determination. I could lift a car if I needed to,” she boasted.
Her longtime idol
In addition, Martin said she considers Smiley her idol and would often tune into his radio show when she lived in Dallas. “It was so hard to wake up many days, but Ricky Smiley got me through the day. He always made me laugh. When your day starts off good you have less attitude.”
Dr. Nicole Evans, vice president for Enrollment Management and Institutional Research, and Theresa A. Smith, a financial aid counselor at JSU, assisted with securing the award. Evans said the conversation between Martin and Smiley was so natural, “like a regular phone conversation.”
Evans said she, too, was overjoyed after witnessing the experience.
Helping a student in need
“When an opportunity comes where we can find a student in need we do just that,” she said. “It’s not customary for financial aid to work with a foundation, but this situation provided a great opportunity.”
During the show, Smiley – a national radio host, comedian and actor – told Martin, “We thank God for you pushing through your trials and tribulations and becoming a college student to pursue your career and getting a degree.” He urged her to “keep pushing through.”
Aside from the $1,300 she will receive for her JSU tuition, Smiley chipped in an additional $500 gift card from Walmart, backstage passes to his Nov 4 concert in Jackson, and offered to be her 2020 commencement speaker if the invitation is extended by the university president.
Outside of school, Martin said, “I love being myself because, generally, I have such an outgoing personality and like meeting new people. I like to read books (mysteries), and write stories.”
As for coping with the past and life’s hurdles, she said, “I don’t wallow in my misery. If I didn’t go through what I experienced, I would not have the determination and be the strong, amazing young woman I am today. Some people don’t know how to forgive; you have to accept and move on. I realize that something has happened to everyone in childhood. To be able to move forward in life, you must first be shaped by your principles and beliefs.”
Click to hear the conversation with SMILEY and MARTIN.