SUMMERVILLE, SC (WCSC) - Chick-fil-A employees at the Summerville and Goose Creek locations were awarded $155,000 in scholarships.
On Tuesday, team members surprised 53 scholarship recipients at work.
The winners applied for the scholarships, and they thought they were coming in for a work meeting or under the premise of something else.
When they walked in, they were surprised with a big check.
Each scholarship is for $2,500 and they can re-apply for up to four years to receive a total of $10,000.
One of their employees, Nathan Strong, received a $25,000 scholarship through the company earlier this year and got to meet the CEO of Chick-fil-A in California.
“So I want to go back to USC Columbia, switch to a business management degree and work on my MBA as well.,” Strong said. “With this scholarship, it helps me in the financial situation I was in to almost get through it debt free. So it’s completely just amazing, I’m without words on how it feels to actually achieve that financial goal that I’ve been shooting for, for a very long time.”
Nathan is one of 12 employees in the nation to receive the $25,000 scholarship.
“I’ve been with the business for about six years so all that work I’ve put in it was never for appreciation.... but that was truly a moment when you know they love you as just an employee. They will take care of their people above and beyond,” Strong said.
The Goose Creek and Summerville locations combined have awarded the most scholarships in the nation over the past few years.
Chris Walker is the operator for both locations.
“When I was younger I remember struggling to figure out how I was going to pay for college and this scholarship program is a very substantial opportunity for people to finance a significant portion of their schooling,” Walker said.
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