GREENWOOD, Ind. — "I still just feel very speechless," said Chick-fil-A team member Natalie Cramer, who works at the location off Marlin Drive in Greenwood.
During her routine shift on Thursday, she received a life-changing surprise.
Cramer was awarded the $25,000 True Inspiration Scholarship from Chick-fil-A, an award giving to just 12 team members nationwide.
"I'm just super grateful for the opportunity," Cramer said, "and grateful that they believe in me to carry their values and just see the Chick-fil-A mission through."
John White, with Chick-fil-A and grandson of the company's founder Truett Cathy, was on-hand to deliver the check.
"It's really just a way to give back to team members that serve guests in all of our communities," White said, "and to come alongside their dreams and aspirations for education."
Rich Johnson, who owns and operates the Chick-fil-A locations in Greenwood, was there, too.
"It's just our desire to come together and care for one another," Johnson said, "and we feel like as we care for one another, that flows over into our guests."
In 2023, Chick-fil-A plans to award $25 million in scholarships to more than 13,000 team members.
"It's actually the 50th year we've been doing this," White said.
Cramer's coworkers nominated her for the True Inspiration Scholarship after she joined the team in September 2022.
According to Johnson, Cramer came to Chick-fil-A with a caring and giving heart. She had just returned from three years of overseas missionary work in Papua New Guinea and Australia. There, co-workers said she developed an admiration for coffee farmers and their field work.
"She really wants to be part of that sustainable market of trying to bring coffee from farmers directly to the market," Johnson said.
Cramer, who is originally from Indianapolis, is currently enrolled in her first semester at IUPUI.
"I definitely had a goal of graduating debt-free," Cramer said, "so this is a big step in the right direction."
Cramer said her goal is to get her business degree and connect farmers to buyers who are willing to pay fair wages. She also hopes to guide farmers to a pathway of more successful entrepreneurship.
Cramer said the people at Chick-fil-A are helping her own path to success.
"People who come around me and support me and believe in me," Cramer said. "I love being able to see a team reach goals, especially when it comes to customer care and speed and all these things that Chick-fil-A really prioritizes."