Texas waitress who cut food for diner gets $16K scholarship

A server at a Houston-area diner has received an unexpected $16,000 college scholarship after details of her act of kindness – cutting an ailing customer’s food – spread online.

Texas Southern University in Houston on Thursday awarded the scholarship to 18-year-old Evoni (EV’-uh-nee) “Nini” Williams. She works at a Waffle House in La Marque (luh-MARK’) and has been saving money for college.

Another customer, Laura Wolf, was at the Waffle House last Saturday. Wolf overheard a struggling elderly patron, who uses oxygen, say he had trouble with his hands and couldn’t cut the ham on his plate.

Wolf snapped a photo as Williams cut the man’s food.

La Marque Mayor Bobby Hocking on Thursday issued a proclamation making March 8 Evoni Williams Day.

Williams plans to study business.