NEWARK, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Four Salt Lake City area teens who acted quickly to help a single mother and her two young sons after a terrifying car accident received a deserving surprise on Wednesday’s episode of “Steve Harvey.” Sallie Mae, the nation’s saving, planning, and paying for college company, helped Krystal Brown, the mother involved in the accident, thank the four good Samaritan teens, Myia Deherrera, Kiara Kirton, Coltin McClain, and Jenica Pender of Roy, Utah, each of whom is a high school senior who aspires to attend college, by giving each $5,000 to help make their dreams of higher education a reality.
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Sallie Mae helps Steve Harvey thank teen good Samaritans with $5,000 each for college: (left to right) High school seniors Jenica Pender, Kiara Kirton, Coltin McClain, and Myia Deherrera; the accident victim they helped, Krystal Brown, and Steve Harvey. (Photo by Cristina Aguirre/NBC)
“On the worst night of my life, these four teenagers made a choice to do something they didn’t have to do. They chose to stop and help my sons and me, and they did it with heart and ease and compassion, and they even stayed with us for more than four hours until the tow trucks were gone,” said Krystal Brown. “I haven’t seen these heroes since the accident, and I’m especially grateful to Sallie Mae and Steve Harvey for giving me this opportunity to show my appreciation by helping each of them achieve their dream of attending college.”
Myia, Kiara, Coltin, and Jenica have broad career aspirations, ranging from medicine to psychology to cosmetology. Each of them expects college to be the ticket to their future and they have already begun researching and applying at colleges and universities in Utah.
“We immediately pulled over when we saw the accident. We knew we wanted to help — it was just the right thing to do,” said Myia Deherrera. “We did what we hope any person would do if they see someone who needs help. We certainly didn’t expect this thank you and we were just floored when Steve brought out those large checks. We are touched that Krystal went out of her way to show her appreciation and that Sallie Mae stepped up to help us pay for college.”
“Every day heroes are all around us, whether first responders, teachers, nurses, or four teenagers who make a critical decision to help a mom and her children,” said Martha Holler, senior vice president, Sallie Mae. “The actions of Myia, Kiara, Coltin, and Jenica on that day inspired us. They have big plans and bright futures ahead of them. Those futures start with college, and we are thrilled to help them on that journey.”
Watch the emotional surprise from Steve Harvey and Sallie Mae at https://youtu.be/mOWo60jd20A. "Steve Harvey" airs weekdays. Check local listings or go to http://www.steveharveytv.com/ for time and channel. Connect with Steve Harvey on Facebook: @SteveHarvey TV; Twitter: @IAmSteveHarvey; Instagram: @IAmSteveHarveyTV; and YouTube: SteveHarveyDaytime.
For more information on how to save, plan, and pay responsibly for college, visit www.SallieMae.com.
Sallie Mae (NASDAQ: SLM) is the nation’s saving, planning, and paying for college company. Whether college is a long way off or just around the corner, Sallie Mae offers products that promote responsible personal finance, including private education loans, Upromise rewards, scholarship search, college financial planning tools, and online retail banking. Learn more at SallieMae.com. Commonly known as Sallie Mae, SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.
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