Hundreds of Chick-fil-A workers are earning their college degrees without student debt

Hundreds of Chick-fil-A workers are earning their college degrees without student debt

SomeChick-fil-A employeesare graduating from college free of debt due to a unique program. Thanks to a partnership among three entities — independent Chick-fil-A operators, Point University and Ficus Education — 177 Chick-fil-A employees were able to graduate this year while working at locations across the country, restaurant industry websiteQSR reported. Over 70 of the Chick-fil-A employees participated in a recent graduation ceremony at Point University, a private Christian institution in Georgia. Chick-fil-a Food And Employees Helped Man Lose Weight And Change His Life In attendance were more than a dozen Chick-fil-A operators. "This all began in 2023 with one operator's and one university's vision: to give his team the opportunity to earn a college degree without student debt," Doug Danowski, president of Ficus Education in Georgia, told Fox News Digital. Read On The Fox News App "That single decision sparked a movement." The Ficus Education employer-sponsored partnership allows employees at independently operatedChick-fil-A restaurantsto complete their degrees online through Point University without having to pay out-of-pocket tuition or take out student loans. Chick-fil-a Employees Fulfill Texas Couple's All-american Dream: 'Bucket List' "What started as one operator's desire to invest in his team has grown into a national movement: hundreds of degrees earned, over an estimated $11 million in student debt avoided and real business impact," Danowski said. Select Chick-fil-A franchise operators pay their employees' tuition as an incentive to recruit and retain workers. For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle "It's a partnership built around one question: How can we help operators recruit, develop and retain their people, and strengthen their restaurants?" Danowski said. More than 500 independent Chick-fil-A operators have participated in the program since its inception, Danowski said. Ficus Educationhosted a hospitality suite for independent operators, their graduates and special guests immediately before the commencement ceremony. Click Here To Sign Up For Our Lifestyle Newsletter "Through Point [University] and through the partnership with Ficus [Education], we've been able to create this day when Chick-fil-A team members are going to walk across the stage and get their four-year degree or their master's degree, which is going to bring themforward in their careers," André Kennebrew, chair of the board of trustees at Point University and a former Chick-fil-A development program leader, told attendees in remarks shared with Fox News Digital. The federal education debt now exceeds $1.6 trillion, according to the U.S. Department of Education. As the Office of Federal Student Aid recently announced it has resumed collections of defaulted student loans, the 177 Chick-fil-A graduates collectively avoided more than $6 million in debt, according to QSR. The program makes it possible for employees to progress in their careers at Chick-fil-A, some with dreams of opening their own franchise, "or go somewhere else andbe a doctoror a lawyer or whatever," Kennebrew said. "This is worth continuing," Kennebrew said of the program. "This is worth growing." Original article source:Hundreds of Chick-fil-A workers are earning their college degrees without student debt

bySlavek Pynzarek

in

May 17, 2025

Hundreds of Chick-fil-A workers are earning their college degrees without student debt

Hundreds of Chick-fil-A workers are earning their college degrees without student debt SomeChick-fil-A employeesare graduating from college ...

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Nearly 18,000 containers of ice cream recalled for potential plastic contamination

Nearly 18,000 containers of ice cream recalled for potential plastic contamination

Wells Enterprises, the company that produces Blue Bunny and Halo Top ice cream, has recalled nearly 18,000 containers of ice cream and frozen yogurt due to batches possibly containing pieces of plastic. The Iowa-based company issued the voluntary recall on April 25, according to a Food and Drug Administrationreportreleased earlier this week,NBC Dallas-Fort Worthreported. The recall includes 22 different flavors sold in three-gallon tubs, sent to more than 100 distribution centers across the U.S., including locations in Iowa, Michigan, Illinois and Texas. The products have "Use by" dates ranging from March 2026 through October 2026. The FDA categorized the recall as Class II, meaning consumption of the product can cause "temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences," according to theFDA website. Wells Enterprises did not immediately respond to an NBC News request for comment. Afull listof recalled products with identifying information can be found in the FDA report.

bySlavek Pynzarek

in

May 17, 2025

Nearly 18,000 containers of ice cream recalled for potential plastic contamination

Nearly 18,000 containers of ice cream recalled for potential plastic contamination Wells Enterprises, the company that produces Blue Bunny a...

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At least 25 dead as tornadoes and thunderstorms devastate parts of Kentucky, Missouri

At least 25 dead as tornadoes and thunderstorms devastate parts of Kentucky, Missouri

At least 25 people have perished in severe weather that swept across Missouri and Kentucky over the weekend, authorities said. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said the number of weather-related fatalities — he attributed them to a single tornado initially believed to have touched down at EF3 strength overnight — had risen from 14 to 18 by late Saturday afternoon. "It has taken far too many lives," Beshear said. "Homes that there isn't a single wall standing. Homes that have all four walls yet lost the person inside." The governor said 17 of the fatalities were in Laurel County and one was from Pulaski County. One of the deceased was a Laurel County firefighter, Beshear said. Officials in Missouri reported seven weather-related fatalities since Friday, including five in St. Louis County and two in Scott County. Beshear vowed that the state's resources are being deployed to help Kentuckians affected by the severe weather. He said 10 people remained in critical condition after suffering weather-related injuries in Kentucky. A spokesperson for St. Louis Children's Hospital and Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, said the facilities received over 60 patients in total, with the children's facility treating 15 and Barnes-Jewish seeing more than 50. Two of the patients at Children's Hospital were in critical condition. All others have been discharged, the spokesperson said on Saturday. Most of the patients at Barnes-Jewish have been discharged or will be soon, the spokesperson said. St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said the severe weather, including two reported tornadoes in the area on Friday, affected an estimated 5,000 buildings in the city. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement on Saturday that she has spoken with the governors of Missouri, Kentucky, and Illinois and offered them "federal resources and action for the deadly tornadoes and storms." "We discussed how while emergency management is best led by local authorities, we reinforced that DHS stands ready to take immediate action to offer resources and support," Noem said. The severe weather was the result of an east-moving system of unstable air set off by a clash of warmth to the south and west and a cooler front to the north, federal forecasters said. The National Weather Service said 28 tornadoes were reported on Friday. More than 63,000 utility customers in Missouri and 58,000 in Kentucky were without power on Saturday, according to utility trackerPowerOutage.us.

bySlavek Pynzarek

in

May 17, 2025

At least 25 dead as tornadoes and thunderstorms devastate parts of Kentucky, Missouri

At least 25 dead as tornadoes and thunderstorms devastate parts of Kentucky, Missouri At least 25 people have perished in severe weather tha...

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‘No survivors’ after helicopters collide in Finland

'No survivors' after helicopters collide in Finland

Two civilian helicopters have crashed into each other inFinlandwith no survivors reported. The helicopters had taken off fromEstoniaand were carrying businessmen on board, with three people in one and two in the other. Emergency services were called to the crash site west ofHelsinkishortly after 12.30pm local time on Saturday. "The accident has resulted in several fatalities. The exact number of victims and the identities of the passengers are still being determined," the police said in a statement. However, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign affairs confirmed to public broadcaster ERR that all those on board the helicopters had died. A witness said he saw the two helicopters flying close to one another before one "dropped like a stone". "Suddenly, one of the helicopters made a quick movement and, just like that, collided with the other. Shortly afterwards, there was a terrible crash," Antti Marjanen told Finnish broadcaster Yleisradio Oy. "One of the helicopters dropped like a stone, while the other spiralled down. After that, I didn't see or hear anything. There was no smoke." Rescue workers reportedly located the wreckage of the helicopters in a forested area, located around 100 yards from each other. Officials gave no indication of what caused the mid-air collision, but a witness told Finnish media there was a "terrible crash" after one of the aircraft performed a sudden manoeuvre. Local media named Estonian businessmen Oleg Sõnajalg and Priit Jaagant, and his wife Lilit Jaagant, as being among the victims. Jaagant's construction company released a statement confirming that he and his wife had died. Flightradar24tracking data showed two four-seater Robinson R44 Raven light helicopters that departed from Tallinn, the Estonian capital, were flying near Eura, in south west Finland, when the accident took place. The passengers were on their way to an air show at Piikajarvi Airfield when they collided, according to the chairman of a nearby aviation club. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.

bySlavek Pynzarek

in

May 17, 2025

‘No survivors’ after helicopters collide in Finland

'No survivors' after helicopters collide in Finland Two civilian helicopters have crashed into each other inFinlandwith no survivors...

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Walking certain number of steps daily reduces cancer risk, Oxford study finds

Walking certain number of steps daily reduces cancer risk, Oxford study finds

Exercise is known to reducecancer risk— but that doesn't have to mean hard-core gym sessions or long runs. A new study led by Oxford researchers reveals that casual walking and otherlight-intensity activitiesare enough to lower cancer incidence. The number of steps was found to be more important than the pace of the walk, they found. Just 4 Minutes Of Intense Daily Activity Could Slash Cancer Risk Among 'Non-exercisers,' Study Finds Those who walked 7,000 steps per day had an 11% lower cancer risk compared to those taking 5,000 steps per day, and the risk was 16% lower for those taking 9,000 steps per day, according to a press release from the Oxford Centre for Early Cancer Detection at the University of Oxford. Even shopping and performing household chores have been shown to reducecancer risk. Read On The Fox News App Overall, those who had the highest total amount of daily physical activity were 26% less likely to develop cancer compared to those with the lowest amount, after adjusting for lifestyle factors, body mass index (BMI) and otherhealth conditions. The study, which was recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, analyzed activity tracker data for 85,394 people in the UK Biobank averaging 63 years of age. Cancer Deaths And Tax Rates Linked In Surprising New Study: Here's How They then compared that data with future cancer diagnoses in 2,633 participants over a nearly six-year period. While previous studies have used self-reported exercise to determine reduced cancer risk, this one used "more precise data" based on wearable activity trackers. "Our research highlights the importance of allforms of movement," senior study author Aiden Doherty, professor of biomedical informatics at Oxford Population Health, said in the release. "Whether it's increasing daily steps, engaging in light activity or incorporating moderate-to-vigorous exercise, any level ofphysical activityappears to contribute to lower cancer risk." "Our findings support and enhance current national and international physical activity guidelines, showing that people who often engage in simple low-intensity activities, such as walking, have a lower risk of developing cancer." Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, pointed out that cancer is linked to inflammation, which is linked to sedentary behavior. "All kinds of activity, including walking, increasesmetabolic functionand decreases inflammation," Siegel, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. "The results of this study are not surprising and are in keeping with previous and ongoing research." For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health In addition to Oxford Health researchers, experts from the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute participated in the study. Funding was provided by the National Institutes of Health's Intramural Research Program and the National Institutes of Health's Oxford Cambridge Scholars Program. Original article source:Walking certain number of steps daily reduces cancer risk, Oxford study finds

bySlavek Pynzarek

in

May 17, 2025

Walking certain number of steps daily reduces cancer risk, Oxford study finds

Walking certain number of steps daily reduces cancer risk, Oxford study finds Exercise is known to reducecancer risk— but that doesn't h...

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