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Local youth wins
scholarship for tuition
from McDonald's
Mrs. Mayes
BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY
FOR THE CHRONICLE
McDonald's restaurants
have provided job opportu
nities for American youth
for decades. Assisting its
employees in furthering
their education is para
mount to the company as
well.
On Friday, May 20,
local McDonald's
owners/operators presented
scholarships to 11 employ
ees based on their academ
ic achievements, communi
ty involvement, and an
essay describing what they
have learned from their
work experience at
McDonald's The event
took place at the Ronald
McDonald House of
Winston-Salem. Radio per
sonalities Busta Brown of
97.1 FM and Jared from
107.5 FM presented the
scholarships.
Ariel Mayes of
Pfafftown was one of the
students honored Friday.
Ariel is a two- time winner
of the $1,000 Ray Kroc
scholarship. Kroc was the
owner of the McDonald's
corporation and established
the Ronald McDonald
House foundation.
"The Ray Kroc
Scholarship Award was
developed to offer our high
School and college students
who work within
McDonald's an opportunity
to be recognized and
rewarded for making an
Impact both academically
and in their communities,"
fcaid Johnny Tart, a local
owner/operator of
McDonald's in the Triad.
Ariel is currently study
ing Information Systems
with a minor in Computer
Science at the University of
North Carolina at
Greensboro. She has been
employed with
McDonald's for the past
four years.
Ariel was born in
Orangeburg, S.C., and her
family relocated to
Pfafftown when she was a
pre-teen. She began work
ing at McDonald's at the
age of 16 and said she has
really enjoyed working
there.
"I enjoy talking and
getting to know people of
different backgrounds,"
said Mays. "Working at
McDonald's has helped
prepare me for the future
by not being so reserved
because I am a very intro
verted individual. So that
has helped me to be able to
talk with a variety of peo
ple."
Ginny Whan,
owner/operator of
McDonald's where Ariel is
employed, said, "We have
had the pleasure of work
ing with her for the past
four years and it has been
awesome to watch her
grow in her relationships
with people, her peers, and
our customers. Everything
she does we continue to be
impressed by and are very
proud of her and happy she
is a part of our team."
Upon graduation,
Mayes says she wants to go
into web design. Arlinda
Mayes, Ariel's mom, stated
that her daughter has a
bright future and foresees
her entering the corporate
world because of her
dynamic leadership skills.
"The sky's the limit for
her," said Whan. "She is
dedicated in whatever she
decides to do. She definite
ly has a backpack full of
tools from woricing with us
and the education she has
received in school, honest
ly, that girl can do whatever
she wants."
Mayes said she feels
very accomplished to have
won the scholarship, espe
cially two years in a row.
Her mother says that the
scholarship is a big help
and will assist with the pur
chase of books and meals
as well as personal items.
"People are our number
one asset to begin with.
And when you layer on
someone with the skill set,
personality, the appear
ance, and positive mindset
she has, I can't even begin
to calculate what she has
been worth to us over the
years," Whan affectionate
ly said of Mayes.
Pluto by Tknotky lUmtey
Scholarship
winner Ariel
Mayes accepts
her scholarship
while posing
with Ronald
McDonald and
local
McDonalds
OwnerI
Operator
Johnny Tart at
the Ronald
McDonald
House of
Winston-Salem.
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