Making Dreams Reality with Archways to Opportunity

Archways to Opportunity is a gateway to success for our employees and those of our Franchisees – a comprehensive education strategy designed to provide the resources and support needed to pursue their greatest ambitions.

Launched in 2015, Archways to Opportunity remains as impactful as ever. More than a decade on, it continues to help tens of thousands of crew members grow, learn and advance on their chosen pathway.

Let’s hear from two of them. 

Elizabeth Arroyo Gomez: From Shift Manager to Surgical Technologist

For Elizabeth Arroyo Gomez, every day on the job offers new experiences. As a surgical technologist, she’s on the front line of surgeries, but her career started in a very different setting.

In her late teens, Gomez began working for a McDonald’s, first as a cashier and later a shift manager. While working and taking college classes, she discovered her passion for healthcare. Thanks to Archways to Opportunity, she received funding that helped her complete her associate degree.

In May 2020, Elizabeth graduated debt-free from Triton College’s Surgical Technology program, but pandemic restrictions delayed her ability to take the Certified Surgical Technologist exam. During that time, she was grateful for her continued work at a McDonald’s restaurant and the flexibility her employer provided as she prepared for her next chapter.

By November 2020, Elizabeth was hired by Swedish Hospital in Chicago. Looking back, she credits her time at a McDonald’s and the support she received through Archways with helping her build the skills and confidence to pursue a career in healthcare.
 

“In my job, you have to work as a team. But instead of serving customers, we’re helping patients. You have to give them the best treatment, the same as you’d give a customer at McDonald’s. I’m so grateful for the amazing opportunity to apply for Archways and have a flexible schedule.”

Elizabeth Arroyo Gomez

Joseph Eaglin: A Path to Automotive Innovation

Joseph Eaglin had always wanted to go to college and was thrilled to be accepted into a highly competitive engineering program at Clark Atlanta University in Georgia. As a first-generation college student, however, he lacked the financial resources to cover tuition.

While working as a shift manager at a McDonald’s in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Joseph learned about Archways to Opportunity. With encouragement from his general manager, Rashad Wiltz, he applied for tuition assistance, and he was approved – making college possible.

Now a student at Clark Atlanta University, Joseph is pursuing dual bachelor’s degrees in physics and mechanical engineering. He continues to work at a McDonald’s in Riverdale, Georgia, and hopes one day to design cars and run his own business. Wherever his career takes him, Joseph says the support he received through Archways will always be part of his story.
 

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to pass by a McDonald’s without thinking about how they shaped my whole career.”

Joseph Eaglin