Act of simple kindness by a Texas waitress goes viral - and she got a big surprise

An act of simple kindness by a waitress in Texas to her ailing customer was caught on camera and went viral on Facebook. Then it caught the attention of a nearby college.

Here's what happened

Eighteen year old Evoni "Nini" Williams is being praised for helping a customer at her job as a waitress at a Waffle House in La Marque, Texas.

A customer overheard an elderly man say he was struggling to cut his ham - he was on an oxygen tank and was having trouble with his hands.

When Evoni cut his ham for him, she snapped a photo and posted it on her Facebook page.

"I don't know her name," the post read, "but I heard this elderly man tell her his hands don't work too good. He was also on oxygen and struggling to breathe. Without hesitation, she took his plate and began cutting up his ham. This may seem small but to him, I'm sure it was huge. I'm thankful to have seen this act of kindness and caring at the start of my day while everything in this world seems so negative. If we could all be like this waitress & take time to offer a helping hand..."

The post was shared more than 55,000 times, and had more than 5,600 comments.

A great reward for a kind act

After the picture went viral, Texas Southern University in Houston took notice and awarded the young lady a $16,000 scholarship. Evoni had been working at the Waffle House to save up money for college.

The teenager had tears in her eyes as she accepted the check from a representative of the university.

“Your act of kindness is exactly the kind of student we want at Texas Southern University," he said.

Evoni says she wants to study business.

Here's a local news video about the great story: