By putting in the hard work after her day’s work as general manager of North Branford’s McDonald's restaurant, Janet Stanley earned her associate’s degree with highest honors in less than two years’ time. Janet is also the first sibling in her family to earn a college degree.

Attending classes online, Janet earned her associates in management science from Colorado Technical University (CTU). She started out taking one class per session, but things accelerated along the way.

“I was supposed to graduate in February of this year, but I doubled and tripled up on some of the classes toward the end, so I was able to graduate in November [2023],” Janet says.

On Jan. 3, Janet’s family joined her McDonald’s family of customers and staff, together with state leaders and company officials, for a special graduation celebration at the restaurant at 280 Branford Road.

Wearing her CTU cap, gown, and cords, Janet proudly shared her diploma with well-wishers. As an employee of the Trefz Organization—the family-run company which owns and operates 50 McDonald’s locations throughout Connecticut and New York—Janet received a special gift from North Branford McDonald’s owner/operator Christian Trefz. Trefz congratulated Janet for achieving the major educational milestone, as well as for her 17 years of dedication and hard work with the company.

A Milford native who now resides in North Branford, Janet has worked at several Trefz Organization McDonald’s throughout her career. She joined the North Branford store as general manager six years ago.

“Working with the Trefz Organization, I just moved up through the ranks,” says Janet. “I was a crew person, and I became a swing manager and then an assistant manager, and then they asked me if I wanted to be a general manager,” says Janet. “They’re just a good company to work for. They care about their people, they encourage you, and they provide all kinds of training.”

Janet says she would not have had the opportunity to enroll in college and earn her degree online had it not been for tuition assistance received through Trefz’s partnership with the McDonald’s Archways to Opportunity program.

“My supervisor brought it up to me while we were just chatting one day. She said she was going to take some classes, and I was intrigued, so I called the school,” says Janet. “They helped me figure out what I wanted to do, and the rest is history.”

Through Archways to Opportunity, crew and managers at participating restaurants can earn a high school diploma, take English as a Second Language classes, get tuition assistance, and receive free guidance from advisors, according to the Trefz Organization.

In 2023, Christian Trefz awarded more than $35,000 in tuition assistance to 63 employees through his partnership with the Archways to Opportunity program. This does not encompass the total from the Trefz Organization as a whole, but what he did individually as an owner/operator, according to the organization.

McDonald’s also has partnerships CTU and Western Governors University in Utah, as well as local community colleges, that allow restaurant employees to earn an associate’s or bachelor’s degree at little to no cost. Thanks to this incredible opportunity, Janet says that everything involved in earning her degree, right down to the the fee for her graduation garb, was covered.

“I didn’t have to pay for any of it. It was all paid for,” she says.

However, Janet did have to invest in the hard work that it took to earn her diploma. During many months of classes and assignments, Janet says her team at McDonald’s checked in on her progress and even helped cheer her on during her after-work study sessions.

“I would sit there on a Friday night and work on my assignments, and they encouraged me,” says Janet.

Janet plans to continue working with her McDonald’s family at the North Branford store, doing a job that she loves.

“I have the best crew, I have the best restaurant, and the best area. I wouldn’t trade my crew or my management for anything,” says Janet. “We’re a big family.”

That goes for her customers, too. Quite a few knew that Janet was pursuing her associate’s degree and made sure to congratulate her when she reached her goal.

“My store is a little country store where everybody pretty much knows everybody,” she says. “All of my regulars were so happy for me and were congratulating me. A lot of them came for the graduation because they knew about it.”

Also on hand to congratulate Janet on Jan. 3 were Trefz Organization training manager Angela DuPree of McDonald's, State Representative Vincent Candelora, State Senator Paul Cicarella, and Trefz Organization supervisor Pauline Graziano.

“It was very overwhelming for just little old me. But everyone was very proud of me, and I’m proud of myself,” says Janet, who graduated with a 4.0 GPA.

Janet also gives a special shout-out to her family—including her parents, her three sisters, two brothers, and all of her nieces and nephews—for their support during her studies.

“They were just so proud of me. My father was getting choked up at my graduation at the store,” says Janet. “Without them, I think would have quit long time ago, but my mother would not let me, and my family would not let me.”

With such encouragement and support from her family, company, and her community, Janet says that she may not stop at this point in her academic success.

“I think I’m going to take a little break, and maybe in February or March, go back for my bachelor’s,” Janet says.