How a University of Miami student got a $50,000 scholarship from Drake

08 Feb 2018

Record-breaking, award-winning rap superstar Drake gifted University of Miami student Destiny Paris James a scholarship worth US$50,000 on Tuesday, just after donating several thousand dollars to a high school.

It was her past scholarship essays, highlighting the hardship of growing up in a low-income, single-parent home, that had spurred the singer to help pay for James’ tuition, The State reported.

According to James, Drake had told her he wanted to do something different with the music video he was shooting on campus and to give back, saying: “So I’m going to give you $50,000 to go toward your tuition.”

Drake surprised students at Miami Senior High by filming a music video, and donating $25K.

He then visited the University of Miami where he donated a $50K scholarship to a random student who just so happened to be Destiny James of Denmark, South Carolina #GodsPlan pic.twitter.com/4nZiQQEnlD

— ment nelson (@mentnelson) February 6, 2018

“Drake told me that he has read great things about me and appreciates how hard I’ve worked through so many trials and decided to give me $50K for my tuition. @champagnepapi THANK YOU SO MUCH!!’ You don’t understand what this means to me,” James wrote in an Instagram post.

“I would’ve never imagined this happening to me. I’m just a girl from Denmark, SC that wants to MAKE IT and be somebody and for you to see my hard work means the world. Thank you so much. God I thank you.”

James was filming a video for would-be donors as a scholarship recipient at the university when Drake presented her with the cheque.

Before she was a university student, the South Carolina native said she only dreamed of someday attending college even though she scored As in school. Her mother worked hard and always stressed the importance of education to her.

Congratulations Destiny James for receiving a scholarship from @Drake! Your inspiring story represents the very best of @univmiami. #GoCanes pic.twitter.com/xvwHjQMjMQ

— Julio Frenk (@julio_frenk) February 6, 2018

James, the public health major who will be a senior this fall, plans to use her scholarship to help her cover tuition fees next year, take care of some loans as well as to treat her mother.

University of Miami president Julio Frenk congratulated James for the scholarship, writing on Twitter that her inspiring life story “represents the very best” of the university.