Tijuana Flats selected five outstanding student employees in Florida, North Carolina, and Georgia to receive a total of $7,500 in scholarships toward their tuitions for the fall 2017 semester.
The scholarship reward program is part of the organization’s Just In Queso Foundation—a company-wide initiative that aids people and organizations in local communities in their time of need and in unexpected times of tragedy. The Tijuana Flats Just In Queso Foundation awards scholarships twice a year to student employees who best exhibited Tijuana Flats’ core values, with an emphasis on community.
The following employees received scholarships:
- Eddie Brim Jr., Orlando, Fla., attending Capella University
- Broc Fischer, Orlando, Fla., attending University of South Florida
- Theresa Piazza, Raleigh, N.C., attending Wake Tech.
- Gianna Mesiello, Fort Myers, Fla., attending Florida Gulf Coast University
- Briona Hickson, Pooler, GA, attending Georgia Southern University
The five selected students have volunteered with Just In Queso in the last year, are currently enrolled in college, and maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher.
In addition to receiving a scholarship, each recipient will be recognized on Tijuana Flats’ social media outlets, receive a private check presentation with regional vice presidents, area supervisors, and general managers, and will be given school supplies to ensure their continued academic success.
“Our Just In Queso Foundation was established as a way to give back to the community, and that includes our own employees,” says Larry Ryback, CEO at Tijuana Flats. “We are excited to be able to recognize these students, who are working hard toward their educational goals and still find time to lend a hand both inside and outside of the workplace.”
Earlier in the year, Tijuana Flats distributed $7,500 in scholarships to an additional five student employees for the Spring 2017 semester.
The employee scholarship program began in 2002. To date, the Tijuana Flats Just In Queso Foundation has provided over $42,000 in scholarships to assist employees in continuing their educations.