E-Edition
Sign up for email newsletters
Sign up for email newsletters
E-Edition
Chick-fil-A employee Jonathan Allen thought he was attending the filming of a TV commercial with the company CEO Thursday at the Roseville location.
But the 27-year-old Clinton Township resident received the surprise of his life when the pretext of a commercial turned out to be a celebration for him as he received a $25,000 scholarship to cover the costs of a ministry degree.
Allen said he suspected something was up as he spotted his fiancee along with her family and members of his church pastoral staff among the crowd at the eatery in front of Macomb Mall.
“It was really special,” he said.
“I saw (fiancee) Lauren and Bob (from Cornerstone Baptist Church), and I was like whoa! It was a surreal moment that you see in TV but never expect it to happen to you.”
Joining in the celebration — complete with a bunch of streamers — were Roseville city officials, the Roseville High School Marching Panthers, Chick-fil-A corporate leaders, and folks just enjoying lunch. They applauded and cheered as word spread through the crowd of what was taking place.
This year, Chick-fil-A, Inc. will award more than $27 million in scholarships to more than 15,000 employees across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, according to press materials.
Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew T. Cathy said it was “so much fun to be here” to present Allen with his scholarship.
“There is a lot of fun things I get to do, but this is the highlight of year for sure,” he told reporters. “To be able to travel around and pass these scholarships and see the reactions on their face, it truly is life changing for so many of them.”
In addition to working at Chick-fil-A, Allen is pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He plans to become a youth minister.
The scholarship money will help cover the costs of his final two years in the divinity program and prepare for a lifetime of service in ministry and leadership.
Allen is also an intern at Cornerstone Baptist Church on 12 Mile Road in Roseville. He has worked for the fried chicken eatery — which is known for its Christian values and closing on Sundays — for about six months.
He sees a link between the two positions.
“I wanted to connect with the community and I knew Chick-fil-A’s values, and what better way to impact a community not only to preach at church, but be here to really serve the community,” he said. “When I saw a Chick-fil-A was opening in Roseville, I thought ‘I’m going to apply’.”
In written materials for the scholarship request, store owner Josh Holbrooks called Allen a “poster child” for the company because of his work ethic. In addition to helping bring food to customers, he also does graphic design marketing and social media for Chick-fil-A.
“Jon is one of the most exceptional human beings I have ever encountered,” he wrote. “I wish we had 40 more of him. He is one of the hardest workers, he will do anything for his team and anything for his guests.”
Allen said he hopes to eventually land his degree so he can work with youth.
“But I will go wherever the Lord leads me to as I transition out of Chick-fil-A,” he said.
Copyright © 2025 MediaNews Group
