Nicolas Montealegre: A roadmap to success
By Elena Ferrarin, Negocios Now
Nicolas Montealegre says that working at McDonald’s changed his life.
Montealegre moved to New Jersey with his mother a decade ago, at age 17, and started working in maintenance at the local McDonald’s restaurant in Manville after he turned 18.
At the time, his English skills were poor, but he had a desire to grow within the franchise owned by Jack Scari.
“I only knew some words — food, colors and the basics,” he said. “I saw all the opportunities that the Scari organization has to offer and I said, ‘If I learn English, I might be able to keep growing.’”
Thanks to Archways, Montealegre, a native of Colombia, was able to learn English and pursue a bachelor’s degree in computer science, all while continuing to work full-time at McDonald’s restaurants owned and operated by the Scari organization, where he received several promotions.
Montealegre started with eight weeks of free English classes, then continued studying ESL at Raritan Valley Community College with tuition assistance through the Archways program. Less than two years later, he began online studies to earn a computer science degree from Colorado Technical University, also with Archways’ tuition assistance.
Montealegre now holds the role of people experience lead for all 18 locations of the Scari franchise, and plans to graduate later this year.
“McDonald’s helps people who are willing to go above and beyond, and put in the effort,” he said. “I think it’s a great incentive to help people like me, who were lost, and to help us do better for ourselves.”
Montealegre is among more than 95,000 McDonald’s restaurant employees who have taken advantage of the opportunities afforded by Archways since its launch more than a decade ago.
Through Archways, restaurant employees have access to a free high school diploma program thanks to a partnership with Career Online High School. All courses are online, competency-based and students receive support from academic counselors throughout the program.
Restaurant Crew and Managers also have access to tuition assistance to pursue education at any accredited college, university or trade school. Employees can choose to do so at McDonald’s partner schools, which offer discounted tuition rates and additional perks, or any accredited institution of their choice.
Additionally, eligible restaurant employees can receive free advising services to understand program benefits, choose the right educational or career path, and navigate enrollment.
“This program is designed to help make education more affordable and accessible, supporting employees in achieving their academic and career goals,” McDonald’s said.
According to a recent survey of Archways to Opportunity® participants, the majority of Archways participants said that lack of money or financial resources was one of the biggest barriers to furthering their education.
Survey results also revealed that nearly half (46%) of Archways’ participants are first-generation college students. 80% believed Archways created more economic opportunities for them and 64% said the program helped them get a promotion more quickly.
Now a husband and father, Montealegre says that he plans to continue working for the Scari organization long-term.
You may be interested in reading this article: Shoulder to Shoulder”: A leader who flips burgers alongside his team
“McDonald’s is a place where there is something new every day, and there is something that you can learn every day. It could be human resources, technology, or customer service. This is a place that I was meant to be, because there is always something going on, something new — and that just excites me.”
“My mom is very proud,” he added. “She never thought that a kid who came without knowing the language would be as successful in life.”
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