McDonald’s Launches 1 in 8 Mentorship Program Highlighting Career Paths

McDonald’s launched a new mentorship initiative and a national recognition day on Jan. 8 to highlight the career pathways that begin in its restaurants. The company marked the first-ever 1 in 8 Day with local restaurant events, fan offers and the debut of Arches & Ambition: The 1 in 8 Mentorship Program, a four-part YouTube series that follows four current crew members on one-on-one mentorship journeys with former McDonald’s employees turned professionals.

The campaign centers on the idea that one in eight Americans has worked at McDonald’s, a network that the company estimates connects more than 40 million people. Company messaging framed crew work as a foundation for broader skills—showing up with purpose, teamwork, quick decision-making and keeping calm during peak service—that can propel careers beyond the restaurant floor.

Each episode pairs a current crew member or manager with a mentor who has built a career after McDonald’s. In New Orleans, Owner/Operator Jade Colin mentors Justin Hicks, a current manager and aspiring entrepreneur. In Los Angeles, Chef John Liu mentors Abigail “Abby” Robles, a manager with culinary ambitions who participates in a special luncheon. Milwaukee designer Tamy Idrobo mentors Marie Perez, a manager pursuing acting and fashion. In Queens, BMX athlete and creative director Nigel Sylvester mentors Brijanna Crawford, a crew trainer focused on creative process and product development.

McDonald’s USA national field president Myra Doria praised efforts that connect current crew to successful alumni and help employees envision future opportunities. The broader campaign encouraged employees and the public to watch and share the series, use the hashtag #1in8Day, and participate in local restaurant celebrations under the banner “Give a ‘Nugget’ of Your Appreciation.”

For workers, the initiative spotlights mentorship as a concrete way to translate frontline experience into new fields and may illuminate nontraditional career routes for managers and crew trainers. The profile-building element could support retention and morale by showing attainable next steps, while the public-facing series raises visibility for individual crew members’ ambitions.

At the same time, McDonald’s franchise structure may shape access. The company notes that roughly 95 percent of U.S. restaurants are franchised, meaning participation and local programming will depend on franchised operators’ involvement. Still, by pairing current employees with alumni mentors across industries, the program seeks to make the skills learned behind the counter visible and actionable for crew looking to turn ambition into achievement.