My Summer Job at Chick-fil-A

Famous Chick-fil-A logo

When you come to Florida, what's the one restaurant you usually become well acquainted with? With more than 150 Chick-fil-A quick-service stores in Florida – third most in the country – it's not difficult to understand why there are four locations within driving distance of where I live.  There's even an express Chick-fil-A right on campus at PBA!

This summer, I had the opportunity to get a closer look at the phenomenon Chick-fil-A has created. Last spring at PBA's Career Fair hosted by the Office of Career Development, I was hired by a Chick-fil-A store for the summer. Throughout my years at PBA, I have known many people who worked with the company and loved the environment.

This made me extremely encouraged when I was about to move from my office job in the Development Office at PBA to the fast-paced environment at Chick-fil-A. Not to mention, PBA students are extremely appreciative for the competitive hourly rate set for PBA students, graciously given at to those working at the Palm Beach Lakes and Okeechobee-Turnpike locations.

PBA Students Chris Collier and Alyssa Osbron at Cow Appreciation Day

Chick-fil-A is almost like a culture, especially for students at PBA. For example, on “Cow Appreciation Day” customers who dress from “head to hoof” as a cow, which is the restaurant's mascot, receive a free meal. My friends from PBA made sure to visit me at work on that day!

The best thing about working at Chick-fil-A isn't that I receive a free meal on the days that I work (although that is amazing), it's being able to work with other students and creating a bond. Whether it's during a slow moment filling up the freshly squeezed lemonade or during an absolutely packed lunch rush on the register, Chick-fil-A has created a team for me to work with and rely on.

Chick-fil-A has also provided me with an outstanding work ethic and job training. There is a lot more behind the “It's my pleasure” phrase used; it shows the respect and happiness that we give each customer during their experience at Chick-fil-A. Also, as employees we better understand the value of a dollar, especially when used for prepping and serving food.

Overall, it has been a blessing working at Chick-fil-A this summer!   What kind of fun jobs have you had for the summer?

Life Can Be Like Fireworks on the Fourth of July



Fireworks from "Fourth on Flagler" over the Intracoastal.

The Fourth of July is always an important time of remembrance for our country. For this year's Fourth of July holiday, I saw a spectacular  fireworks show at the "Fourth on Flagler" event in downtown West Palm Beach. The show was above the Intracoastal along Flagler Drive, right in front of the PBA campus.  

According to the website of The Massachusetts Historical Society, on July 3, 1776, John Adams wrote the following in a letter to his wife Abigail regarding the celebration of Independence Day:  
"It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore."

Seeing the illuminations or fireworks is my favorite part of the holiday. As I watched the show with a group of friends, I thought about how my life has been like a bunch of fireworks in the sky -- each role I have in my life is like each individual firework.  

Lately, I have been thinking about how to juggle life as a student, daughter and sister, friend, an employee, a young woman, and life as a Christian.  And in the juggling, some of my friendships started to diminish, it was frustrating to see them fall apart.  Luckily, I was able to get together with those friends for the fireworks show, and we regained momentum. 

All of these roles that "light up my life" are each like the different fireworks, which lit up the sky on the Fourth of July in colors of blue, white, green and red.  Ultimately, it takes a lot of planning for a fireworks show to look good, and it takes just as much time, if not more, to organize my life for it to turn out good, as well.  Additionally, even though each individual firework looks good in the sky on its own, together, they create an amazing show. As much as I would like to focus on being perfect in one role of my life, I remind myself the different roles I have keep me well rounded.

I know that a lot of planning for the fireworks in downtown allowed the thousands of people in attendance to enjoy a spectacular event. Although everything in my life does not seem to add up all the time, just like how it's possible for the fireworks go off at the wrong time, I know with a little practice God will help my life come together like a beautiful illumination. 

'Feeding Children Everywhere' Event April 14

This semester at PBA never stops rolling with student events and activities. 

Last weekend at the Refresh Leadership Retreat put on by Palm Beach Atlantic University's Center for Campus Connections at the Life for Youth Camp in Vero Beach, I learned about a food packaging event coming to PBA Saturday, April 14. A food packaging event is where volunteers package raw food products to create nutritious meals to feed the hungry.

As stated on its website, Feeding Children Everywhere “...is a social charity that empowers and mobilizes people to assemble healthy meals for hungry children.” According to PBA student Matthew Langford, who spoke about the event at chapel this week, the goal is to pack 50,000 meals that will be sent to churches and orphanages in the horn of Africa, where there is currently a huge drought.  Each meal contains rice, lentils, vitamin blend and dehydrated vegetables, and costs only 25 cents.

The campus as a whole is really getting fired up about helping out from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Mahoney Gym at PBA's Greene Complex for Sports and Recreation.  In a listserv e-mail to students, Matt shared, “We have roughly 1,000 students that live on campus…if each student on campus gave $10, which would be $10,000.”  However, not only is this event for students who live on campus, but for commuter students and the community of West Palm Beach. 
It is amazing to think that at least one thousand PBA students as well as residents of West Palm Beach will have the opportunity to practice servant leadership. Matt also wrote, “The number one thing I want to happen through this event is for the heart of our campus to break for the needy in this world.”

Watch the video below "What is a Packing Event?" to see exactly what will be going on at PBA Saturday, April 14. Will you be joining?