Serving others without expectation
Student gets the experience of a lifetime before college.
By Ryan Nolby |Clarion Correspondent
Maria Landry will be case in Chick-fil-A commercials. Landry is receiving the recognition from Chick-fil-A corporation, which is located in Atlanta. She says she had to work hard to get to this point.
During her freshman year of college, she worked 35 to 40 hours a week at the franchise in Roseville. She got up early and preparing the store at 5:30 a.m. for customers and her 25 regulars. One customer named Carol is 79 years old and has shown up every day since the store open in 2016. She comes in the drive through every morning for her large black coffee. But one day she came inside and Landry noticed and asked if everything was fine. Carol sat Landry down and told her she had cancer. Stunned by how open and valuable Carol was to express her hurt to a young college student that just hands her a large black coffee, Landry started to write letters in the morning for Carol and going out of her way to put a smile on her face.
“Use this for your dreams.”–Maria Landry, Chick-fil-A
Landry was given the opportunity to become the hospitality team leader during her freshman year of college. It focuses on team care and the well-being of the employees. Landry’s goal outside of Chick-fil-A is to open up a wellness retreat that focuses on people’s mental health from how to deal with high anxiety or to breakup. It would be a 24-hour get-a-way that lets people break free and focus on themselves. There would be yoga lessons to help focus on breathing to classes on how to handle therapy.
Landry hired her friend Madi Nelson, who went to Irondale High School with her, but is a year younger. Nelson has a financial issue and Landry got together with her team and pulled in $100 to spend on books and dorm supplies. People heard of what was going on and decided to help out. The $100 turned into $1,100. Landry wrote on the card with the check “Use this for your dreams.” Nelson was studying theater at North Central in Illinois before having to drop out because of financial issues.
While serving others at work, Landry was struggling to find her meaning at school. Freshman year, Landry switched majors four times from film director to psychology to elementary education and ending the fall semester as undecided. The year didn’t go well and she didn’t love living in freshman dorms, either. After the school year, Landry withdrew from Bethel.
When she wanted to return, a girl on her floor messaged her saying they had a spot in the room for Landry .
Now Landry is a sophomore at Bethel with a marketing major and loves her roommates even though she barely knew them coming into the school year. Landry still serves others and especially her roommates by cleaning up the room or taking their trays in the dining center. But this year is different for Landry as the corporation has contacted her to train and open new Chick-fil-As around the country and to be in the next big red couch.
“I have big plans, but I have a lot of doors I don’t mind opening,” she said
Bio Box: About Maria Landry
Favorite hobbies:
- Working at Chick-fil-A
- BANGSSHOES ambassador
- yoga
Other jobs:
- First job was a building assistant at the Eagles Nest in New Brighton.
Scariest thing she’s ever done:
- Interviewing and application for the certified training program at Chick-fil-A
Favorite book and movie:
- Book: My pleasure by Truett Cathy
- Movie: LaLa Land
If she could do anything in one day, no limitations, what would she do?
- Start her own business called “Be Here.”
