When Ava Turiano experienced a death in her family four years ago, it left her mom as the sole breadwinner. Still in high school and wanting to help support her siblings, Turiano got a job at McDonald’s. That decision would change her life, put her on the pathway to college and make her part of a unique community — the 1 in 8 Americans who have worked at McDonalds.

From CEOs and entrepreneurs to astronauts, teachers and engineers, the 1 in 8 touches every corner of America’s professional, cultural and geographic landscape. In a survey, more than 70% of current and former crew members said McDonald’s is where they learned key skills theyve used throughout their careers. Nearly half said their job at McDonalds created opportunities they wouldnt have gotten otherwise.

Turiano said that’s definitely true for her. Now a shift manager at a McDonald’s in San Diego, she’s also a college student receiving tuition assistance through McDonald’s Archways to Opportunity program. She said hearing about the 1 in 8 reminds her how far her McDonald’s experience can take her.

“It’s very inspiring and motivating to know all these other people started out where I started,” Turiano said. “I love hearing their stories and knowing I’m part of the same community.”

McDonald’s is celebrating the 1 in 8 with a series of Employees Only events, including one held recently at a McDonald’s in San Diego. The events give current and former crew members a chance to connect, swap career advice and hear inspiring success stories during “Fryside Chats” with local 1-in-8ers.

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The San Diego panel included Turiano, celebrity chef and restaurateur Richard Blais, and Kim Mercado, director of corporate and community philanthropy at Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego.

Franchisee Sabina Campos, who led the panel discussion, looked out at the audience of 50 crew members and called them “the heart and soul” of McDonald’s. “We’re so proud of who you are,” she said. “By sharing these stories, we want you to see yourselves and realize there’s so much you can do.”

Richard Blais: from McDonald’s crew to culinary king

Richard Blais said he started working at McDonald’s as a teenager, with no idea he would one day be a restaurateur, television personality and celebrity chef known for putting a creative twist on culinary classics. Still, there may have been some early signs.

“I remember the first batch of Filet of Fish (sandwiches) I cooked — I forgot to put the top buns on,” he said, laughing. “That was obviously not a good thing at the time, but looking back, who knows? I was serving an open face Filet of Fish at 15. I was already innovating!”

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During his time on the crew, Blais worked the cash register, kitchen and drive thru, absorbing information that he still draws on years later. Working at McDonald’s was a master class in precision, execution and customer service, he said — skills that have influenced every part of his career.

“What I learned at McDonald’s still inspires me,” said Blais, who hopped behind the counter at the San Diego event to check out the kitchen and see the crew in action. “Everything that goes into creating that perfect bite of a McDonald’s cheeseburger — the amount of thought and science and attention to detail. Honestly, I think about it a lot.”

Blaise said his experience at McDonald’s still resonates as he comes up with new dishes and thinks about how to replicate them across multiple restaurants. “It’s like, ‘How can I make sure to put the perfect amount of sauce on something and be consistent in all my restaurants?’” he said. “And then it hits you, ‘This is what I learned at McDonalds. This is the way to do it.’”

“Im proud to tell the story of where I started,” Blais added. “It has shaped how I operate, and not only me, but a ton of successful people in the world. I am so lucky and blessed to be part of this community.”

Ava Turiano: pursuing education through Archways to Opportunity

Ava Turiano started out as a teenager on the McDonald’s crew and at 18 was promoted to shift manager. She said she always knew she wanted to go to college, but worried that juggling a full-time job and school might be overwhelming.

She learned about McDonald’s Archways to Opportunity program from her restaurant’s owner/operator, who encouraged her to apply. The program has provided $200 million in tuition assistance to more than 82,500 McDonald’s employees since 2015.

“When he started telling me about the program, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I need this,” said Turiano. She said getting the news she had been accepted was one of the best days of her life.

“I was just overwhelmed with joy,” Turiano said. “I called my mom and she was so happy for me, she started crying.”

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Turiano is now attending community college and plans to transfer to a four-year university to pursue a degree in computer science. She said the support she has received from Archways to Opportunity has made all the difference: “Without it, I don’t know where I would be. I just know I would be struggling.”

Working at McDonald’s has taught her problem-solving skills, leadership, communication and the power of teamwork. “The people at my store are like my second family,” Turiano said.

She said she hopes one day, she can inspire others to be part of the 1 in 8.

“I want people to know that even when youre at your lowest point in life, if you can just get up and go to work, good things can happen,” Turiano said.

Kim Mercado: a former crew member comes full circle

For Kim Mercado, joining Ronald McDonald House Charities San Diego as director of philanthropy and corporate giving was a full-circle moment. Twenty years ago, she was a teenager starting her first job at a McDonald’s in Northern California.

“I wanted a cell phone and my parents said, ‘If you want it, you buy it,’” she recalled. “So that’s what I did. I got a job at the McDonald’s that was within walking distance from my house.”

Mercado said she liked the family atmosphere at the store and soon was mastering skills in customer service, communication and time management. Her favorite part was working in the small booth in the drive-thru line where customers paid for their orders.

“I loved being in a little room by myself, with two computers and a headset, and kind of running the show,” she said. “I thought there was something so cool about that.”

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Mercado worked at McDonald’s for two years, before heading off to college. After graduating with a degree in sociology, she began a career in event planning, marketing and communications, working for a variety of companies and nonprofit organizations over the next 15 years. “All of the skills I learned at McDonald’s – teamwork, organization, etc. – are transferable skills that have really carried through my whole career,” she said.

When Mercado saw that Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of San Diego was looking for a director of corporate and community philanthropy, she knew she had to apply. The organization provides a place to stay and other resources for families with a child who is experiencing a medical crisis.

In her role with the charity, Mercado also serves as the liaison to McDonald’s stores throughout the region, working with owner/operators and crew to support the company’s Round Up for RHMC program. McDonalds customers can round up their purchase to the nearest dollar, with the extra cents being donated directly to RMHC.

“I love telling the crew that I started out at McDonald’s, too,” she said. “A number of them have been impacted by our mission and want to give back in a meaningful way. Having those conversations is really powerful.”

Find more McDonald’s success stories and learn how you can start your journey at McDonalds1in8.com.