After telling his Wendy’s bosses he was considering leaving for construction work, a 23-year-old employee received a scholarship from them instead — and now he is getting ready to attend Yale.
Thalles Winner DeSouza started working at a Wendy’s in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, while he was still in high school and eventually worked his way up to a management position.
His journey to the US began in 2016, when his mother decided to “move to the United States and drop everything following” after he was “nearly killed by a shooting inside his own home while sleeping.” He was 13 years old at the time and did not speak English when he arrived. He later spoke about that traumatic moment in an emotional Instagram video showing when he found out he had been accepted to Yale.
While working as a shift manager, Thalles had been planning to switch to construction because the pay would be higher than what he was earning at Wendy’s. But Mr. Usama El-Sehrawey told TODAY that he and his business partner quietly saved extra money for every hour Thalles worked and used it to cover his tuition at Cape Cod Community College.
That support helped place him on a path to one of the world’s most prestigious universities.
In a Facebook post, he looked back on the moment everything changed, writing, “Four years ago, while I was working as a manager at Wendy’s and finishing high school, Mr. Usama El-Sehrawey and the late Mr. Ernest Smily (his son Terry Smily is in the picture) awarded me a scholarship to attend Cape Cod Community College,”
“At the time, I had no idea how much that opportunity would change my life.”
At Cape Cod Community College, DeSouza earned straight A’s, founded a religious club, and served as student body president for two years. He later transferred to Bunker Hill Community College in Boston before applying to Yale.
He also shared where that opportunity has led him, writing, “I had the chance to thank them in person and share where that investment has taken me. This fall, I’ll be heading to Yale University!”
Speaking about Mr. Usama El-Sehrawey, the late Mr. Ernest Smily, and Terry Smily, Thalles said the thing that stood out most to him was the “way they invest in people”.
He also wrote, “Thank you, Mr. Usama, the late Mr. Ernest Smily, Terry Smily, and the entire Smily family, for believing in me. Your generosity opened a door that changed my life, and I will always be grateful,”
At Yale, DeSouza plans to major in political science and minor in human rights, following a pre-law track as he works toward becoming a lawyer. The university awarded him a full scholarship valued at more than $194,500. He is attending his first semester at Yale this fall.
He ended the emotional message by saying he is living proof that “all it takes is one person who believes in you”.
The post has since gone viral, collecting nearly 30,000 reactions and more than 500 comments at the time of writing.
Among those replies, people have also been sharing their own experiences with the fast food chain. One user wrote: “My daughter has worked at Wendy’s while in high school, dual enrollment and maintaining a 4.44 GPA! Next week she heads to college to start her freshman year and everyone at Wendy’s has encouraged her every step of the way!!! Mechanical Engineer coming through!”
Another added: “Now this is the stuff of dreams and the proof that great people make a difference in others lives that helps them to become great! Great people are selfless and kind! They still walk among us everyday!”
A third commented: “This is what the United States should be about. Absolutely amazing. Good luck Thalles. I know you’ll make your benefactors very proud.”
Wendy’s also reacted in the comments on an Instagram post about the story, writing: “His middle name is Winner and he’s winning! SO PROUD.”