Thalles DeSouza is going from Wendy’s to Yale after his bosses bet on his future

Two former bosses helped DeSouza pay for community college, giving him the opportunity to turn his academic ambitions into reality.

Thalles Winner DeSouza thought he had figured out his path.

The 23-year-old was working at a Wendy’s in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, while finishing high school and considering leaving the fast-food restaurant for construction work—a job he believed would help him make more money and eventually pay for college.

Then his bosses made him an offer that changed the trajectory of his life.

Rather than see DeSouza walk away, Wendy’s franchise owners Usama El-Sehrawey and the late Ernest Smily offered to help fund his education. They began setting aside money based on the hours he worked, eventually helping pay for three years at Cape Cod Community College.

Four years later, DeSouza is preparing to attend Yale University on a full scholarship

“At the time, I had no idea how much that opportunity would change my life,” DeSouza wrote in a July Facebook post.

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A post shared by Thalles Winner De Souza (@thalleswinner)

His journey to Yale is remarkable on its own. DeSouza was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and came to the United States with his family at 13 after surviving a shooting inside his home. He arrived without speaking English and began working at Wendy’s during high school. He shared his story in an Instagram caption. Translated into English it reads:

“I was born and raised in the Vila Kennedy community, located in the Bangu neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. It is one of the most dangerous places in Brazil, marked by violence, poverty, and loss—a place where many of my family members and friends lost their lives in shootouts.

I will never forget where I came from.

I am the son of Dona Mauriceia, who went to live on the streets at age 10 after her parents passed away. She was a single mother of four by the time she was just 19 years old.

My story is similar to those of millions of young people across Brazil. Not long ago, I was there—lost, aimless, and like so many others, just another statistic society deemed unlikely to succeed…

But God had the final say.

In 2016, after nearly being killed in a shootout inside my own home while I slept, my mother decided to leave everything behind and come to the United States.

Today, 10 years later, I have been accepted to Yale University (@yale), one of the most prestigious universities in the world! I received a 100% full scholarship, valued at over 1 million reais.

If there is one thing I hope people take away from my story, it is this: the favela was born to win, too. Where you come from does not determine where you can go. And sometimes, the most impossible journeys lead us to places we never imagined reaching.

All glory to Jesus

At Cape Cod Community College, DeSouza earned straight A’s, founded a campus religious club and served as student body president for two years. He later spent a year at Bunker Hill Community College before applying to Yale, where he was accepted in May.

This fall, DeSouza will study political science with a minor in human rights. He plans to follow a pre-law track, with aspirations of becoming a lawyer and potentially pursuing public service.

For DeSouza, the achievement represents more than an Ivy League acceptance. It is proof of what can happen when hard work meets someone willing to invest in your potential.

“Sometimes all it takes is one person who believes in you,” he wrote. “I’m living proof of that.”

And in DeSouza’s case, it took two bosses who saw a future beyond the Wendy’s uniform.