Cap, Gown and Grill
A metro Atlanta high school grad is going viral after he went straight from his graduation ceremony to his job at Burger King.
ATLANTA – While many high school graduates spend their big night celebrating with family and friends, one metro Atlanta teen chose a different path—and his dedication has gone viral.
What we know:
Mykale Baker had just received his diploma and was still proudly wearing his graduation medals when he showed up to work at Burger King in Dacula. His decision to head straight from the ceremony to his shift didn’t go unnoticed.
Customer Maria Mendoza recorded a video of him and posted it on TikTok. The video went viral, and has been viewed millions of times.
That’s not all though. She was so impressed by Baker’s commitment that she started a GoFundMe campaign to help him pay for college expenses and the response has been overwhelming.
Maria Mendoza and Mykale Baker. Courtesy of GoFundMe
On May 28, Mendoza posted a video of her going back to Burger King and surprising Baker. She told him how she had just left her own daughter’s graduation, and they stopped by because she really wanted a burger. She told him that she had started a GoFundMe campaign to help him pay for college.
At that time, the campaign had only raised approximately $6,000. However, Baker and his mom (who was wearing a “Proud Mom” shirt) were extremely touched and fighting back tears.
Baker said that he was thinking about taking a gap year, but now he thinks he can go straight to college where he plans to study automotive.
As of 9 a.m. Thursday, May 29, more than 1,200 people have contributed to the fundraiser, raising over $35,000 in support of Baker’s future. Additionally, many people are calling for Burger King or a college to step up and also offer their assistance to make sure he can attend the school of his choice.
