Meet two-time Live Más Scholarship winner Vance Lackey, a hardworking team member at our Mount Juliet, TN Taco Bell, who continues to win más! Vance received his second $10,000 scholarship from the Taco Bell Foundation to help fund his college pursuits!
Vance is finishing up his freshman year at Cumberland University, a historic, private liberal arts school in Lebanon, TN. He’s worked for the Taco Bell brand for going on three years this November. We caught up with him to find out how it’s going and what financial assistance has meant to him as a working student.
Taco Bell employees who apply for Live Más Scholarships can land $5,000 to $25,000!
“I mean, it’s meant a lot,” he says. “Thankfully it’s helped lift — you know — college can be a big money risk.” Vance says he was just sitting around with his family when he was notified about landing a second scholarship. “It was unreal!” he shares. “I was stunned, speechless.”
THE IMPACT
MRCO surprised Vance with his first $10,000 scholarship check in 2022. For him, as an information technology (IT) major and esports (electronic sports) player, hearing about the Live Más opportunity through MRCO, and taking advantage of it, has given Vance the chance to focus on school instead of having to work five days a week. He hopes to specialize in cybersecurity after college.
Live Más Scholarships help students like Vance go to school and enjoy extracurriculars without having to spend all of their free time working.
With some of the financial burden lifted, Vance only works on weekends and can request time off when he needs to focus on studies or travel for esport events. You can tell he feels like the winner with this setup!
“I get to play a video game I love, competitively,” he says of Rocket League, which is “essentially car soccer.”
For him, MRCO has “absolutely” been accommodating to his needs as a student and esport athlete.
Benefits for Working Students
The future is yours! At MRCO, we place great value on empowering tomorrow’s leaders. And we know it starts within our restaurants. As part of our benefits package, we not only encourage team members to apply for Taco Bell’s Live Más Scholarships, but working students who’ve averaged 30 hours a week during their first year can also take advantage of:
- Financial advice
- Flexible schedules
Vance is a shining example for the young Mt. Juliet staff, proving that a student’s ideal work/life balance is totally achievable. According to him, many of his peers continue working for MRCO because the job is a good fit for them, the pay is attractive and they’re planning to apply for college, too. And Vance? He says he plans to work for us as long as he can!
Like what you’re learning? Find a job at Taco Bell.