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CBS News
07-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Teen jumps in to help Burger King coworkers on his graduation night and is rewarded with big donations
Donations pour in for teen who helped coworkers at Burger King after graduation Dacula, Georgia — At a Burger King in Dacula, Georgia, 18-year-old Mykale Baker is known for his whopper of a work ethic. He shows up early, stays late, and looks at every shift like a privilege. "I like helping people and not expecting anything back from it," Baker told CBS News. "That's just me." That work ethic created some good karma for Baker. "I knew that all the good I put out there is going to come back to me somehow," Baker said. Baker's high school graduation night arrived in May. He left the ceremony and dropped by Burger King for a late meal. That is when he noticed his colleagues were absolutely swamped with orders. At this point, most teens would have just been glad they had the night off and been on their way. But instead, Baker did what Baker does. "I wasn't even clocked in," Baker said. "I just put gloves on and said, 'What do you all need help with?'" So, with his graduation sash and medals still draped around his neck, Baker hopped on the line. The whole thing was caught on camera by customer Maria Mendoza, who just could not believe her eyes. "There's not a lot of people who are like that," Mendoza said. "…Thirteen years of school, you graduate. The last thing I would think is somebody would go to work!" Mendoza was so impressed, that she posted the video online and started a crowdfunding campaign to reward Baker for his integrity and dedication. The campaign has raised more than $200,000. Baker plans to use that money to go trade school become a master auto mechanic and eventually open his own shop. The Burger King Foundation later surprised Baker with $10,000. The foundation also gave Mendoza $10,000 for her daughter, Daizie, who also just graduated high school. Baker said his mother, Demeshiah Scott, always taught him to work hard, even if you think no one is watching, because you never know when someone is.
Fox News
06-06-2025
- Business
- Fox News
High school graduate goes viral for working at Burger King in cap and gown: 'Hustlers don't stop'
A recent high school graduate showed exceptional dedication to his fast-food job – and received a reward for it. (See the video at the top of this article.) Mykale Baker, who works at a Burger King restaurant in Dacula, Georgia, went viral after showing up to work in his graduation regalia last month. A widely shared video of the teen shows him stuffing onion rings in a cardboard container on the evening of May 21, just hours after he graduated from Mills Creek High School in the Atlanta area. Baker stopped by his workplace to show off his cap and gown to his co-workers, FOX 5 in Atlanta reported. But he soon jumped in to help his team out after seeing how busy the night shift was. Maria Mendoza, a customer, took a video of Baker and posted it on TikTok, where it garnered nearly 700,000 likes as of June 5. Mendoza's daughter also graduated with Baker, so she immediately recognized his regalia. In the comments section, thousands of viewers wrote about how impressed they were by the teenager. "His future is bright," one TikTok user wrote. "I know he will be successful in all that he does. One day he will [be] running his company!" "Just after receiving his diploma – still proudly wearing his medals – he reported to his shift at Burger King." Another said, "He won't be there for long. Hard, dependable workers only continue to grow and improve." "Hustlers don't stop, they keep going … Great job, king!!" a different commenter said. Recognizing Baker's humility and work ethic, Mendoza then started a GoFundMe to help the teen's educational dreams come true. Over 5,500 donations rolled in, totaling nearly $200,000 as of June 4. "While many graduates spent the night celebrating with friends and family, one young man quietly showed the world what determination looks like," Mendoza wrote. "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." At the time she started the GoFundMe, Mendoza said, Baker was totally unaware that his story was going viral. "But thousands of people were moved by his dedication, humility and work ethic," she added. FOX 5 reported that Baker was originally considering taking a gap year to earn money for college. Now, he'll be able to begin studying automotive technology this fall. On June 3, staff from the Burger King Foundation surprised Mykale at work with a $10,000 scholarship. Reid Neumann, the director of marketing for GPS Hospitality, handed Baker a gigantic check. "We wanted to recognize you for everything that you have done, always jumping in to help out your team," he said. Pictures show the hard worker beaming while holding his larger-than-life check. Daizie Chavez, Mendoza's daughter, was also gifted a $10,000 Burger King Foundation scholarship to support her neuroscience studies at Georgia State University. Fox News Digital reached out to Mendoza for additional comment.
Daily Mail
31-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
I graduated then went to work a Burger King shift - now I'm $138,000 richer
A Georgia teenager working at Burger King just hours after his graduation ceremony last week caught the eye of a woman sitting in the drive-through line. Maria Mendoza, was impressed at how cheery he was to simply be doing his job, even right after graduating from high school. On a whim, she recorded the teen, Mykale Baker, putting together an order and posted it to TikTok with the caption: 'This young man deserves a scholarship.' That video got more than 4 million views, with many commenters prodding Mendoza to start a GoFundMe so people could donate to his college education. On Tuesday, Mendoza posted a follow-up video of her visiting the 18-year-old at the Burger King in Dacula and surprising him with the fundraiser, which at that point had raised just over $6,000. Upon learning that hundreds of strangers had donated to help him pursue an education, Baker broke down crying before hugging his mother and Mendoza. As of late Saturday afternoon, more than $138,000 has been raised for Baker. Now, thousands of well-meaning strangers have donated to make sure the youngster has a great future ahead of him. 'I just want to say thank you to my parents and all the people that see the good in me and believe in me, and donated all that money to me,' Baker said in an interview with 11Alive. Mendoza told the outlet that she was moved by Baker's work ethic and was inspired to repay him for being such a stand-up person. 'While many graduates spent the night celebrating with friends and family, one young man quietly showed the world what determination looks like,' Mendoza wrote on the GoFundMe description. '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, she wrote. Mendoza later found out that he wasn't even scheduled to work that night, but volunteered to help out his coworkers because there was a huge rush after graduation. So, just hours after he walked the stage at Mills Creek High School, he was right back at Burger King to pitch in. 'He was so kind, so polite,' Mendoza told 11Alive. '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.' 'I'm just grateful I got to do something for him,' she added. 'He inspired me.'
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
‘Hero' Grandfather Dies After Saving Twin Granddaughters from a Falling Tree Limb: 'He Sacrificed His Life'
A grandfather is dead after he saved his twin granddaughters from a tree limb that almost fell on top of them in Georgia on May 28 Manuel Pinzon, 77, is being hailed as a "hero" and someone who "chose to protect" The twin girls are now in counseling following the death of their grandpa, whom they had a close relationship withA Georgia grandfather is being hailed as a 'hero' after sacrificing himself to save his twin granddaughters. Manuel Pinzon, 77, died on Wednesday, May 28, after pushing the two 8-year-old children, Isabella and Gabriela, out of the way when a tree limb almost fell on top of them, according to WANF-TV, WSB-TV and ABC News. Jason Krause, the twins' father, said the incident happened at around 12 p.m. local time while his daughters were spending time at their grandfather's home in Dacula. He told the outlets the kids had been exploring the forest behind Pinzon's home when they found a baby deer. As they returned to their grandfather with news of the sighting, Pinzon told them to eat lunch first before going back out to check if the deer needed any food or water. The twins, Pinzon and his sister then went outside to check on the deer when the freak accident happened, according to WANF-TV. 'There was a very loud cracking sound, crashing,' Krause told WSB-TV. 'Cracking is kind of how they described it, and they got shoved out of the way." "Then, when [the twins] turned back, [Pinzon] had gotten them out of the way and taken the full hit of a falling branch, a falling limb on his head, and he didn't make it," he added. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The 20-foot branch had fallen from at least 60 feet in the air, and Pinzon "took the full brunt of that branch on his head," Krause told ABC News and WSB-TV. He said that one of the twins called 911, while the other ran back into the house to get help. One of Pinzon's granddaughters also followed directions from first responders to put a rag behind their grandfather's head to keep it stable. Emergency responders eventually arrived on the scene to transport Pinzon to the hospital. He died about four hours after the incident, per WSB-TV. 'He sacrificed his life to save my two twins from a tree,' Krause told WANF-TV. In a separate interview with WSB-TV, he added of Pinzon, 'He chose to protect his sister and these two girls instead of himself. And I don't think that should be forgotten. He was a hero." Gabriela told WANF-TV that her grandpa died 'as a hero." Krause told ABC News that his daughters would begin trauma counseling the following week to help them deal with the sudden loss of their grandfather, as 'having him gone like that was very traumatic." He explained that Pinzon was "one of the biggest influences in their life,' and he picked them up from school twice a week. The man's family told WANF-TV that Pinzon was someone who loved being outdoors and loved his family. He fled Colombia 30 years ago to seek out a better life for his wife and daughters in America, WSB-TV reported. "He was a great person. I've known him for almost 18 years now, I wish I could be half the person he was. He was amazing," Krause told ABC News, adding that Pinzon would have turned 78 on June 8. Pinzon leaves behind two daughters, five grandchildren and a wife of 50 years, per the outlet. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Georgia grandfather sacrifices his life to save twin granddaughters from falling tree limb: ‘He was a hero'
A 77-year-old Georgia grandfather was killed by a falling tree limb as he saved the lives of his twin granddaughters while they were in their backyard. Manuel Pinzon died on Wednesday afternoon, according to WANF. Son-in-law Jason Krause told the outlet that Pinzon saved the eight-year-old twins by pushing them out of the way. 'He sacrificed his life to save my two twins from a tree,' he said. 'They got shoved out of the way. He got them out of the way, but took the full hit of a fallen limb on his head, and he didn't make it.' Twins Isabella and Gabi were out with Pinzon and his sister when the family heard a loud cracking sound. Just moments later, the grandfather was on the ground, injured. 'I told my sister to run to the front yard and to get some help,' Gabi told WANF. The grandfather is being remembered as a hero. 'He saved me,' Gabi said. Krause noted that the grandfather loved his family as well as the outdoors. The son-in-law described him as the greatest man he had ever known. 'For as sad as everybody is and for as much crying as everyone's done since, all I want to do is toast him,' Krause told WANF. 'And I want to celebrate him because he was a hero.' The incident took place at Pinzon's home in Dacula, Georgia, according to ABC News. The twins were exploring the forest behind the backyard when they found a baby deer. They ran back to tell Pinzon about the deer. The grandfather suggested that they eat lunch and return later to see if it needed help. Krause told ABC News that it was at about 12 p.m. on Wednesday when the twins and Pinzon's sister heard the loud cracking above them. "As soon as they heard that sound, they got pushed really hard from the side by him to the ground," the son-in-law told ABC News. He estimated that the tree limb that struck Pinzon weighed between 65 and 75 pounds, and that it fell from at least 60 feet. Krause added that Pinzon started bleeding from his head and nose. One of the twins called 911, and the other ran inside to get their grandmother. Following the instructions of the 911 operator, one of the granddaughters placed a rag on the back of Pinzon's head and worked to keep his head stable. However, he continued to bleed and cough up blood. Krause said his wife went to the hospital to be with her father, and the son-in-law went to the home to be with the children, saying they were "covered in blood and were in shock." Pinzon died just after arriving at the hospital. The son-in-law added that the twins will begin trauma counseling. Pinzon was "one of the biggest influences in their life, and having him gone like that was very traumatic,' he added. "At 4:30 [p.m.] on Wednesday, which is about 30 minutes after he passed, one of my daughters had texted him and said, 'You died for me,'" Krause told ABC News. "He marked everyone that came in contact with him. Everybody loved Manuel." He was a 'great person. I wish I could be half the person he was. He was amazing," Krause said. Pinzon, who was set to turn 78 early next month, leaves behind two daughters, five grandchildren, and his wife. They had been together for 50 years.
