We never really know when we are going to meet someone who is going to make a big change in our lives.
For Latonya Young, that person is none other than Kevin Esch.
The 43-year-old single mother from Atlanta has dreamed of being the first one in her family to graduate from college.
However, this dream was put on hold because of financial issues.
At 16 years old, Latonya had to drop out of high school because she got pregnant and had to raise her child. She eventually got the opportunity to go to college but because of an unpaid balance of $700, she was forced to drop out of Georgia State University.
She wanted to pursue her dream, but there was always something that needed money other than her college education.
“Every time I got ready to pay the money, my kids needed something. I said, ‘OK, I’ll just wait,” Latonya said.
The single mom did multiple jobs to make ends meet. She was a hairstylist in the day and worked as an Uber driver at night.
On one of her Uber client calls, she met the man who changed her life.
“I got a call to go to (the) stadium. It was an Atlanta United game,” she said in an interview with WSB-TV 2.
She picked up the passenger outside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and while riding the car, Latonya and the man named Kevin Esch talked. The single mom shared her life story with the passenger who was all ears to their conversation.
After the rideshare, Latonya continued on with her daily routine until she received a phone call from the school a few days later.
“And the message stated, ‘You can register for classes now.’ I was literally blown away. A stranger has never done that — or done anything like that — for me,” Latonya said.
As it turned out, the stranger who paid for her school debts was no other than the man who booked a rideshare a few days prior. It was Kevin Esch and Latonya could not believe that someone would do that for her, let alone a stranger whom she met only once.
“When he paid the balance, I had to do this for him,” Young said. “I maintained my grades. As and Bs. Just trying to do everything to make sure he knows I appreciate him,” the single mom shared fondly.
Latonya is now a proud college graduate with a bachelor of science in criminal justice from Georgia State University. And on the day of her graduation, Kevin was there to congratulate her.
“I’m proud of her. She’s done an amazing job to make it this far. Through the pandemic, through virtual schooling, through everything. It’s amazing,” Kevin said.
The single mom could not thank him enough for the incredible act of kindness Kevin did for her back when she thought that she could never make it and finish college.
“He was a big part of my journey. I don’t think I’d be here if I wouldn’t have met him. I wouldn’t have had this happen,” she said.
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