Jelly Roll vows to help pay Belmont student’s tuition

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — "A miracle" — that's how one Jelly Roll fan described what unfolded at his Nashville show as the singer offered to help pay her college tuition.

Joy Gadalla said she waited in line for about five hours to watch Jelly Roll perform for free at the Skydeck on Broadway, calling it a much-needed outing with her cousin after spending the last month looking after her grandmother in the hospital.

According to Gadalla, the singer's story already helped shape her life, but now even more so.

"I'm going to give you the opportunity to change your life right here on this date," Jelly Roll said from the rooftop stage on Monday, June 17 while pointing at Gadalla.

It was prayers that Gadalla said got her there, standing feet from Jelly Roll as she made the last-minute decision to hold up a sign on her phone.

"I took like a black picture and then wrote, 'Please pay my tuition,' and just held it up," she recalled.

The "Save Me" singer acknowledged that message after his first song, according to Gadalla.

"We will help you get through school," he promised.

Gadalla's priceless reaction was captured by fans.

"I was just in shock, in incredible shock," she described.

Jelly Roll vowed to help her with tuition if all checks out, even though he had no idea about Gadalla's story and how he impacted it.

"I am a year and seven months sober," Gadalla told News 2, adding that Jelly Roll played a role in her journey to sobriety.

Gadalla said her family moved to the U.S. from Egypt to live the American dream. Like Jelly Roll, she was also raised in Antioch.

The 18-year-old said she recently completed high school online with a 3.8 GPA: "I've been doing online since the seventh grade because I was bullied."

Jelly Roll's accomplishments inspired Gadalla to do more with her own life, including enrolling at Belmont University just days before his Nashville concert in hopes of becoming a criminal justice lawyer. However, she didn't know how she was going to afford that dream, and reality set in the night before the show.

"I was crying, I was stressing, I took a moment to breath and pray, and I knew that everything was going to be okay," Gadalla recalled. "I knew God was going to take care of everything"

Gadalla said it looks like the musician did just that. While the official details about how much Jelly Roll will help the teen haven't been made clear, she told News 2 his management has been in touch. Regardless, Gadalla expects tuition will cost about $40,000 a year, so she said any amount will be a blessing.