Chick-fil-A awarded one of its team members, West Texas A&M University graduate student Fam Tial, a $25,000 scholarship on March 1 at the Georgia Street Chick-fil-A restaurant in Amarillo. Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew T. Cathy presented the check to Tial in a surprise check presentation that included her friends, family, team members, the location’s owner-operator and representatives from WT.

Tial is a first-generation immigrant from Burma pursuing a master’s in early childhood education at WT.

“It feels like a dream right now, honestly,” Tial said. “I need someone to pinch me so that way I can wake up, but at the same time, I don’t want to wake up.”

Tial is one of 14 recipients of the True Inspiration Scholarships Chick-fil-A gives to team members across North America.

“It’s incredibly exciting,” Cathy said. “We’re in the food business, but we’re really in the people business, so to have these opportunities to do more than just sell chicken . . . And we know our team members are pouring in, doing such a great job, giving such great service and so this is such an honor today to give Tial this scholarship.”

WT President Walter V. Wendler and faculty from the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences, including Dean Dr. Gary Bigham, came to witness the surprise.

“It’s really the epitome of what hard work, dedication and commitment – the payoff that can come with that,” Dr. Bigham said. “She’s just modeled for everybody in our college the importance of that.”

Tial encouraged other students pursuing education and scholarships not to give up.

“Try your best in everything that you do,” Tial said. “There will be times where you will want to give up and just take the easy way out, but do not do that. Because if you believe in yourself, and if you push yourself, there is nothing that you can’t accomplish.”

Cathy cited Tial’s desire to become a teacher and give back to the community as a reason she was selected to receive the scholarship. Cathy said that Chick-fil-A will also donate $25,000 to the American Red Cross to benefit the community.

“That’s to help with all the fires, everything that’s happening here in the local community,” Cathy said. “All of our thoughts and prayers are with all the citizens that are impacted by this.”