Photo: Vicent Chávez / Courtesy of
More than 100 workers of 30 fast food restaurants in the Inland Empire region and Orange County were recognized for having graduated from various educational levels, high school, English classes and college in a ceremony held at the Santa Monica Brea Community Center.
“I just graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a degree in Business Administration with a emphasis on computerized information systems,” said Elon Ramírez of the city of West Covina in Los Angeles County.
“I feel very grateful because I come from an immigrant family and my parents did not have the opportunity to go to university”.
The workers have in common to be employees of Brad Horner, owner of the franchise in 30 McDonalds restaurants in Inland Empire and Orange County, which organized the graduation party.
Horner scholarships its employees to further their education through Archways to Opportunity, a fast food company professional education and counseling program.
For seven years, Archways to Opportunity has supported workers with paying high school tuition, taking classes to learn English, and going to college.
Ramírez says that while he was studying his degree he was able to work in the franchise to pay his expenses, but it was also very easy because they helped him cover the tuition costs with the pro gram of Archways to Opportunity.
“Another advantage is that having worked in a restaurant of this franchise also gives me a greater possibility of working in the corporation, pursuing my university degree.”
Joselyn Ríos Martínez from the city of La Verne in Los Angeles County, began work in the fast food franchise, recently arrived from Peru and learned to speak English through the program English under the Arches, also created by the burger and fries corporation.
“They have given me the resources to really grow, from working in the kitchen to becoming a general manager.”
He adds that he was also paid so that he could finish high school virtually at the school Smart Horizons.
Horner, the owner of the franchise, said that the goal in supporting employees in their studies is to equip them with the tools, skills and resources to level up at work.
“Many of our Our graduating class 2022 plan to pursue higher education through our exclusive tuition assistance program, Archways to Opportunities, which offers paid education and career counseling services to employees”.
He added that they are proud to be a supportive partner for the graduates, to whom they wish many more successes.
The graduates’ celebration ceremony took place on Tuesday 31 of May.
Adderly Pazos, who several years ago was supported by the franchise to pay for two years of business administration studies, said that these studies helped them to progress in the corporation.
“I started taking orders and making potatoes; and now I’m a project manager and I design the posters for the stores in Southern California”.