On a recent visit to Southeastern University in Florida, Candace Payne, otherwise known as Chewbacca Mom, was told that she and her family are to receive full scholarships to attend the university. This is just the latest bit of great news for the stay-at-home mom, who has been having a pretty phenomenal week: she met J.J. Abrams on the Late Late Show with James Corden , galavanted around Disneyland with her family, received an endless supply of Star Wars gadgets, and even met Chewbacca himself, fictional as he is. Who would’ve thought there’d be so many benefits to slyly shilling for a corporation?
If you’re not familiar with the internet sensation, Payne is an infectiously joyful suburban stay-at-home mom who recorded herself trying on a Chewbacca mask from Kohl’s. Simply put, the mask moves with your mouth and basically makes you sound like Chewbacca. The viral video garnered 140 million views within three days and it is fully impossible not to find yourself smiling — unless your heart is dead.
The university’s president, Dr. Kent Ingle, said “Candace has inspired us and others with her joy, and we want her and her family to experience some of that same joy through this gift,” in a recent statement. Congrats to Candace and her family, but hopefully SEU and other colleges will be as generous to future scholars who have not achieved viral fame.