Some of the last round of commencement ceremonies are still happening across America as we head into Summer with eager young minds full of mush (as the late, great Rush Limbaugh would say) headed off to new and hopefully exciting chapters. For one Georgia young man, his future gained a surprising new boost all because of his diligence and work ethic. Work being rewarded is the subject of this week’s Feel-Good Friday. Thanks again to our intrepid editor and contributor Becca Lower for the story.
On May 21, Mykale Baker graduated from Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, GA. While at the ceremony, Baker was in communication with his team at the Dacula, GA Burger King where he worked, and he saw that they were short-staffed and slammed. So, instead of going out to celebrate with his family, Baker rushed to the location, and still wearing his graduation stole and medals, he decided to pick up a late-night shift to help them out.
Baker showed incredible empathy, teamwork, and an incredible work ethic because that is who he is. What a wonderful testament to his parents and his school. And the expression of these life skills and ethics did not go unnoticed. A mother whose own daughter had just graduated from Mill Creek decided to pop into the Burger King drive-thru to grab a snack and witnessed Baker hard at work.
Maria Mendoza had just watched her daughter, Daisy, graduate and stopped to grab a snack. That’s when she saw Mykale Baker, a recent graduate himself, working behind the counter, still wearing his graduation medals and smiling as he filled orders.
“He was so kind, so polite,” she said. “Radiating joy, even after such a big day. His dedication and quiet strength really moved me. I felt called to do something to recognize that.”
It is expected that mothers will do all they can for their own child. But Mendoza decided she wanted to do something for a child she did not even know, save for his incredible dedication to his work. That’s a Super Mom in my book.
Touched by his work ethic, Maria created the fundraiser to help Mykale pay for college.
“While many graduates spent the night celebrating with friends and family, one young man quietly showed the world what determination looks like. Just after receiving his diploma—still proudly wearing his medals—he reported to his shift at Burger King. He didn’t do it for attention. He doesn’t even know his story went viral. But thousands of people were moved by his dedication, humility, and work ethic,” the online fundraiser reads.
The response was immediate. Within days, the campaign brought in more than $20,000. But as his story spread, the donations kept growing. As of Friday night, the total has reached over $110,000.
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On May 28, Mendoza visited the Burger King to let Baker know about the fundraiser and what his dedication and service to his work meant to her. As of this writing, the GoFundMe for Baker has ballooned to $201,729, and people are still contributing, so inspired are they by Baker and Mendoza’s story about him.
But wait… there’s more. After hearing the story, The Burger King Foundation gifted not only Baker with an additional $10,000 scholarship toward his college, but also gave a scholarship to Maria Mendoza’s daughter Daizie! That’s next-level philanthropy.
After hearing about the story, Burger King and the Burger King Foundation surprised Baker at work with a $10,000 scholarship. In recognition of Mendez’s act of kindness, the foundation also awarded Daizie a $10,000 scholarship to support her studies in neuroscience at Georgia State University.
One of my favorite scriptures is Galatians 6:9: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Baker did not appear weary and certainly was not about to give up—he was excited to have completed his high school and looking forward to a future that he planned to make. That beauty of commitment and joy shined through, and at the most unexpected moment, it was seen and fully rewarded not just by Mendoza, but a society that delights in giving a hand up to those who can truly use it. Baker had planned to take a gap year and work in order to save money for college the next year. Now, he can simply go to college without worry. That’s a tremendous gift and blessing.
But Mendoza’s diligence to give honor and do good to a stranger resulted in both her and her daughter reaping a reward as well. Another scriptural favorite from Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”
I love this beautiful story of people with abundant hearts and full lives pouring out from their abundance and receiving it back in return. Because of this, Mykale Baker and Daizie Mendoza get to pour out their gifts to the world. Their futures are now even brighter, and that’s a good thing.
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