A fan who asked Lil Uzi Vert to pay for his college tuition two years ago will graduate next month.
In August of 2019, Uzi bumped into Temple University student Raheel Ahmad at a department store in Philadelphia and promised to pay his $90,000 tuition with only one stipulation: he must graduate.
Fast-forward to 2021, and Ahmad, who goes by @bigassheel on Instagram, will graduate from Temple in January of 2022.
On Monday (Dec. 6), Ahmad shared a video on his IG and TikTok pages, inviting Baby Pluto to his college graduation. "The time has finally come," Ahmad said in the clip. "I've made it through the four years of Temple, graduating with a 3.5 GPA. I'm sure you all remember this video of me asking Lil Uzi Vert at the mall if he could help pay for my college tuition."
The soon-to-be-graduate and Uzi fan went on to explain some of the challenges he faced while pursuing his education. "I come from a big family and was raised by a single, widowed mother," he explained. "Finances were always a struggle. After my dad passed away, we had to live paycheck to paycheck."
"And honestly, my mom is a hero," he continued. "She cared for all five of her children emphasizing the importance of a college education despite all the costs."
Ahmad added that their one-minute interaction back in 2019 changed his life for the better and gave him "a sense of hope and optimism."
"Your acknowledgment and response to my ask for help have shifted my mindset completely and I believe there can be light at the end of the tunnel," he stated. "I witnessed the dark side of life having lost my father, but I have also experienced many good."
Ahmad's college graduation ceremony is scheduled to take place on Jan. 26, 2022. Additionally, he also wants Uzi to join him at his graduation party as well.
In addition to graduating with a degree in political science, Ahmad plans to use his platform to raise awareness of the financial strain that comes with getting a higher education. For many people, a college education is expensive and out of reach for them to obtain.
"College can't be this expensive when it's meant to be for a more stable and better future," Ahmad stressed. "And as a political science major, I'm going to be using my platform to advocate for college tuition reform."
There's no word on whether Uzi has accepted Ahmad's invitation.
Watch Raheel Ahmad invite Lil Uzi Vert to his college graduation below.