The Tribune

By Farrah Johnson

A BAHAMIAN student is among the Morehouse College graduating class of 2019, whose college debts will be paid off by billionaire Robert F Smith. Mr Smith made the pledge during his commencement speech at the college’s graduation on Sunday.

The American investor told the graduating class, “On behalf of the eight generations of my family who have been in this country, we’re going to put a little fuel in your bus,” before announcing that he and his family created a grant to eliminate their student loans.

Carlos Outten, pictured right, who studied music and theatre at the historically black college in Atlanta, was the only Bahamian out of the 396 Morehouse College students who graduated student debt-free, as a result of the philanthropist’s charity. Mr Outten told The Tribune that he felt like he “won the lottery” when he heard the news. “My first year I had thousands of dollars in loans and to be debt-free I think that was a very momentous moment,” he said. “It was a confirming moment for me that God is a fulfiller of His promises.”

Mr Outten said he owed over $16,000 in student loans for his freshman year, because he had no scholarships when he first enrolled at the institution.

“I came to Morehouse the first day of classes and I registered late and got everything set late,” he said.  “I left The Bahamas a day before the school was open and I just went on faith and just believed that something was going to work out by encouragement of my grandmother,” he said.

Mr Outten added that in his sophomore year, he was awarded an Oprah Winfrey Scholarship, which funded the remainder of his college education. Still, he insisted that without the gracious donation from Mr Smith, the $16,000 that he still owed for his first year of studies would have severely “hindered” him.

“Immediately when you leave school you have about three months then you start paying loans…so that alleviated that for me. And now I can think about ways when I do have some extra finances to help others,” he said.

He added that he had friends with up to $160,000 worth of student loans, so the financial relief was felt all around.

Mr Outten said after Mr Smith’s speech on the importance of philanthropy and helping others, he asked the graduates to stand up and embrace each other.

Mr Outten said that it was then that Mr Smith notified his graduating class of his family’s notable gift.

Recalling the moment, Mr Outten stated: “I freaked out. I didn’t even know what I was screaming for I just shouted and then I thought about what had happened afterwards.

“At first I was just a little bit confused [because] I didn’t know if he was serious [and] I didn’t know if it was just like a saying where there is a loophole out of it, so that was just an awe moment.”

Mr Outten also said that the graduates were asked to “pay it forward”, a statement he said made him think about his “community back home in The Bahamas.”

He insisted that he would never forget the jumpstart Mr Smith’s contribution has given him and said he is more than excited to return the favour to other students in the future. “The main thing I’ve learnt from this experience is to trust in God because if He said it, He will do it. It really alleviated a lot of the stress I had in my mind about what I was going to do financially.”