Do you want some fries with that degree?

When Thalles DeSouza started working at a Wendy’s in Cape Cod, MA, as a high schooler, college seemed like a distant dream. A few years later, and he’s headed to Yale on a full-ride scholarship.

Getting there took a village

Thalles grew up near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where his family faced poverty and violence. In 2016, after a shootout inside their home, his mother decided to leave everything behind and move their family to the US.

• Thalles landed a job at Wendy’s while attending high school in Massachusetts, quickly making an impression on those who worked there.
• That included owners Usama El-Sehrawey and the late Ernest Smily, who promoted him to shift manager during his senior year.

Just before Thalles was about to graduate, his Wendy's family made him an offer that would change the trajectory of his life: they wanted to pay his full tuition to attend community college.

The gesture meant much more than a tuition bill disappearing. After the tough childhood Thalles had, he couldn’t believe someone truly believed in him.

“College to me was something really far from my reach,” Thalles said. “I understood that someone was betting on me, so it was now my time to do my part.”

Which is exactly what he did. Thalles excelled at community college before applying to more prestigious universities. This May, he was accepted to Yale with a full-ride scholarship.

• Thalles plans to study political science and human rights at Yale before pursuing a career as a lawyer.
• And four years after his bosses first opened that door, he hasn’t forgotten who helped him walk through it.

“Sometimes all it takes is one person who believes in you,” Thalles said. “I’m living proof of that!”