Chick-fil-A awards leadership scholarships to local employees
RIDLEY TOWNSHIP » Chickfil-A had a lot going on this week besides cooking and serving fresh chicken. Five lucky students were awarded Chick-fil-A Leadership Scholarships to help them pay for their higher education.
The five students, who are current employees at Chick-fil-A Springfield Park, 805 Baltimore Pike, and Chick-fil-A Ridley, 405 MacDade Blvd., gathered with management at the Ridley Township restaurant to receive the $2,500 award and celebrate their success, amidst balloons and colorful streamers.
Those recognized for the Leadership Scholarship include:
Marina Dawn Abney, of Collingdale, an alumna of The Christian Academy, started at Chick-fil-A in June, 2018. She is currently attending West Chester University.
Siera Hicks, of Drexel Hill, has been working at Chick-fil-A since 2017. She graduated from Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast High School and she is currently attending Pennsylvania State University, Main Campus.
Donovan Hart of Aston, a graduate of Interboro High School, started his career at Chick-fil-A in 2014. He is currently attending West Chester University, majoring in Business Management.
Logan Keller of Morton, is a graduate of The Haverford School. He started at Chick-fil-A in September, 2020, and is currently attending Temple University.
Linnea Si of Morton, a graduate of Springfield High School, started at Chick-fil-A in January, 2017. She will graduate from DCCC in May of 2021 and will be attending West Chester University in the fall of 2021.
The students all said that the scholarships will help a lot in paying for their education.
“Getting this award will help me focus more on my schoolwork so I don’t have to work as much,” said Linnea Si, who is studying to be a nurse.
Donovan Hart agreed. “This award is absolutely wonderful,” he said. “This will alleviate a lot of stress.”
“I want to graduate from college debt-free,” added Marina Abney, whose career goal is to become an obstetrician to deliver babies. “This generous award will help me focus more on school and less on my work schedule. Chick-fil-A is a great place to work and I love my co-workers.”
The first scholarship at Chick-fil-A began when founder S. Truett Cathy set an empty mayonnaise jar on his restaurant counter to start a college fund for Team Member Eddie White in 1955. Since formalizing scholarship programs in 1973, Chick-filA has invested more than $110 million in scholarships to help over 66,000 team members pursue their educational goals. This year alone, Chick-filA invested $19 million in restaurant Team Members’ continuing education, awarding college scholarships to 7,492 team members in 44 states, Washington D.C., and Canada.
“Getting this scholarship takes away some of the hardship of paying for higher education,” commented Siera Hicks, who is majoring in nursing. “I really appreciate Chickfil-A because they have allowed me to get right back to work when I come home for summer and holiday breaks and I really like the people at work.”
Local Operator Gene
Ontjes, who opened the Chick-fil-A restaurant in the Granite Run Mall in 1974, and owns the Ridley and Springfield restaurants, recommended the local recipients, based not only on their service in the restaurant but also their commitment to their communities. “We’ve always been committed both to our community and to education,” Ontjes, who attended Thursday’s presentation of scholarships, said, “And I’m very proud to see these promising young people embodying those values.”
To learn more about the Chick-fil-A Scholarship Program, visit www.chick-fil-a. com/remarkable-futuresscholarships. To learn about employment opportunities at local Chick-filA restaurants, visit www. chickfiladelco.com.