Radio host offers Rachel Jeantel a full ride to college

[link to www.cnn.com]


CNN) -- She might still be figuring out what she wants to study, but her finances just got a lot more clear.

On Tuesday, radio host Tom Joyner offered Rachel Jeantel, a friend who was on the phone with Trayvon Martin the night he was killed, a full ride to college.



Watch this video

Juror: I felt sorry for Rachel Jeantel



Defending her friend Trayvon Martin
Jeantel, 19, spoke to CNN's "Piers Morgan Live" on Monday night.

Lawyer: Jeantel better on TV than in court

Joyner said he was so touched by what she said then, and during her testimony during the trial of George Zimmerman, that he was moved to help.

Zimmerman, a former neighborhood watch volunteer, was acquitted of a second-degree murder charge in Martin's shooting death.

Passions on display over Zimmerman verdict

"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 during his radio show Tuesday, referring to historically black colleges and universities.

"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."

Juror: Zimmerman was 'justified' in shooting Martin

Jeantel, who said she might want to go into law enforcement, thanked Joyner.

The host later appeared on CNN's "Piers Morgan Live" Tuesday night.

He described how Jeantel's life has been turned upside down in the past year and half by Martin's death and the trial.

"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," he said.

Stevie Wonder says he'll boycott 'stand your ground' states

"She deserves a chance," Joyner added.

Jeantel said Monday that she was "disappointed, upset, angry, questioning and mad" at Zimmerman's acquittal.

She found herself in an unforgiving spotlight of the nationally televised trial, during which viewers criticized her dress, her weight, her speech and her combative manner on the stand. She admitted to lying about her age and her reasons for skipping Martin's funeral.

She called the verdict "BS" and said Martin, 17, was never aggressive.

"He was a calm, chill, loving person who loved his family, definitely his mother, and a good friend," Jeantel said.

Had to work my ass of to go to college. Just saying.