McDonald’s and ‘House of Payne’ Actor Lance Gross Help Prepare Teens for Careers

On Saturday, Sept. 26, McDonald’s sponsored the Are You America’s Next Success Story event at the 2009 Congressional Black Caucus — the only event of its kind focused on high school teens. The workshop, which targeted over 100 teens from Washington, D.C., high schools was designed to teach students how to prepare themselves for the workplace. Utilizing improvisational comedy and a fashion show presented by Wal-Mart, students were taught proper workplace demeanor and appropriate business attire. 

The teens heard from some of the most influential African American corporate executives in the country, including Don Thompson, president of McDonald’s USA, and Matt Carter, president of Boost Mobile. 

“One of the biggest opportunities we have is to support youth as it relates to successful career preparation. At McDonald’s we believe if we can help them in this endeavor, we all will benefit as a society,” said Thompson. “This session is centered around tactics for implementation. … We teach them how to understand and convey their personal brand, how to communicate with individuals, interviewing skills, and [how to enhance] their personal appearance. Next, we employ the most effective techniques to teach these skill sets in a contemporary, relevant way.” 

The teens were also surprised by a guest appearance from Lance Gross of the hit television series “House of Payne.” 

McDonald’s and its partners, Wal-Mart and Boost Mobile, continue to provide support to the communities in which they operate.  –al weems

For exclusive video and photo galleries of this and other events from this year’s Congressional Black Caucus conference, log on to rollingout.com.