A Maricopa man has at last earned his high school diploma with the help of a program recently created by his employer – McDonald’s.
Nicholas Sherrod, 20, dropped out of Maricopa High School three years ago, and now, with the help of a new program at his work, he was finally able to get his high school credentials.
Born in Everett, Washington, Sherrod moved with his parents to Maricopa when he was 14. Both were managers at a McDonald’s in Washington and relocated to the Phoenix area to help with several new locations.
While attending MHS, Sherrod got a job at a Maricopa McDonald’s locations almost as soon as he was eligible to work. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for him to begin to struggle with his work schedule and keeping his grades up.
“School wasn’t really for me,” Sherrod said. “It got to the point where I was getting bad grades but I passed every test I got.”
Sherrod’s problem wasn’t attendance or exams; it was homework. He would never complete his regular homework due to his busy work schedule.
After struggling for a few years to fit the typical high-school mold, Sherrod decided to leave the dream of a diploma behind and embrace the reality of work and the steady income it provided.
Fast-forward three years. After he worked his way around several McDonald’s locations and toyed with the idea of returning for his diploma, Sherrod’s fiancée, Kayla, successfully convinced him to go and get it. After spending a brief time with another online diploma program, he learned about the Archways to Opportunities program, launched in early 2016, and knew instantly it was right for him.
Through the program, McDonalds offers eligible employees a free online high school diploma through Career Online High School, not a GED.
His experience through the Archways program was considerably better than his previous online school experience. The teachers, he said, were much more involved, calling and emailing multiple times a week. This accountability Sherrod believes created a better, more thorough, learning environment.
“They don’t let you wait until the last minute,” Sherrod said. “They cut it up so you don’t get behind.”
At the time of Sherrod’s exiting from MHS, there were not many options for people like him. Now, as the Maricopa Unified School District ramps up its recently founded alternative learning program – The Ram Academy – Sherrod feels he “probably” would have benefited from the program.
“I’m just glad that people will have the opportunity now,” Sherrod said.
Getting his high school diploma is not the end of the road for Sherrod, by far. Currently he is engaged to be married, and is in the process of buying a home. After settling in he hopes to get his real estate license and become an agent.
Archways spokesperson Katy Reeves said the program is designed to help employees move up and out into other industries.
“McDonald’s knows they are going to lose really great people and they’re OK with that because they want to help them reach their goals,” Reeves said.
In barely a year, the program has helped more than 200 McDonald’s employees in Arizona, and has invested nearly $200,000 in the program.
The Archways to Opportunity Program also offers eligible employees, those with nine months of employment, the chance to learn English through the English under the Arches program, college tuition assistance and an advising service to help their employees achieve their goals.
