Wendy's worker has his life completely transformed after his kind bosses surprise him by paying for him to attend Ivy League school

By LAUREN ACTON-TAYLOR, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 21:36, 5 August 2026 | Updated: 21:53, 5 August 2026 A Wendy's employee in Cape Cod had his life turned upside-down after his bosses pledged to pay for his tuition at Yale University.  Thalles Winner DeSouza, 23, worked for a Wendy's location in Cape Cod during high school before he was promoted to shift manager in his junior year.  DeSouza, who moved to the US from Brazil in 2016, told his bosses during his senior year that he would be leaving to work in construction to make more money for college. But his bosses had other plans for him.  'He told me that he would like to go and work in construction because there is more money in construction than Wendy's,' Usama El-Sehrawey, the owner of several Wendy's locations across Cape Cod and Plymouth, told TODAY.  'I said, "If you stay at Wendy's, I will make sure you go to college."'  El-Sehrawey and his business partner, Ernest Smily, put together a plan for DeSouza to continue working for the fast-food company, and they would put aside extra money for every hour that he worked.  When DeSouza would enroll in college, they would pay for his tuition directly.  'It changed my life,' DeSouza told the outlet.  Thalles Winner DeSouza, 23, had his life turned upside down after his bosses at Wendy's offered to pay for his tuition as he is headed to Yale University Wendy's bosses Usama El-Sehrawey and Ernest Smily put aside money for every hour that DeSouza worked until he enrolled in college, at which point they would pay his tuition DeSouza, who moved to the US from Brazil in 2016 with his mother, told his bosses during his senior year that he would be leaving to work in construction to make more money for college 'Someone finally saw me, because no one ever saw me the way they did. I think that changed my whole perspective about what I could do.' The financial gift allowed DeSouza to complete three years at Cape Cod Community College, where he achieved straight A's and became the student body president, the outlet reported.  DeSouza then transferred to Bunker Hill Community College in Boston and spent one year working toward getting into Yale.  'I'll be majoring in political science, and my minor will be human rights,' DeSouza told the outlet.  'But everything will be on the pre-law track because I want to go to law school. That's the plan.' DeSouza shared a video on Instagram as he found out he had been accepted into Yale while surrounded by his family, all wearing Yale merchandise. The heart-warming footage ended with tears and smiles as they celebrated his dream coming true.   As he graduated, DeSouza wrote on LinkedIn: 'Sometimes we take longer. Sometimes we fall behind. Sometimes we feel like everyone else is moving faster than us. But guess what? God’s timing is not late. Your path may not look like everybody else’s, but that does not mean you are not going somewhere.' The financial gift allowed DeSouza to complete three years at Cape Cod Community College, where he achieved straight A's and became the student body president DeSouza then transferred to Bunker Hill Community College in Boston and spent one year working toward getting into Yale DeSouza said he would be majoring in political science and his minor will be human rights, with a plan of continuing on the pre-law track to law school 'I am living proof that your beginning does not define your ending. And you’re allowed to take your time becoming who God called you to be,' he added.  In another post, he reminisced on his journey moving to America to getting accepted into Yale.  'This moment is bigger than an admissions decision. It represents every immigrant student who has ever felt unseen,' he wrote.  'Every first-generation student trying to navigate systems they were never taught to understand. Every student who had to balance survival with education. Every person who was told their circumstances would define their future.' He went on to thank his mother, a single mother of four who uprooted their lives 'without money, without guarantees, without knowing what was waiting for us.'  'There were years of struggle, tears, fear, homesickness, difficult nights, and moments when it seemed impossible to keep going. I watched my mother sacrifice dreams, face pain in silence, and carry an enormous weight so that I could have opportunities she never had,' he wrote on Instagram. 'The child who left the Vila Kennedy community in Rio de Janeiro without knowing how to speak English, carrying fears, traumas, and uncertainties, now arrives at one of the most prestigious universities in the world by the grace of God. 'All of this began with the courage of my mother, who decided to listen to the voice of the Lord.' DeSouza shared a video on Instagram as he found out he had been accepted into Yale while surrounded by his family - all wearing Yale merchandise DeSouza noted that 'what has always stood out' to him about his generous bosses was 'not what they built as business owners,' but 'it's the way they invest in people' DeSouza told the outlet that his 'first thought' was 'well, someone believed in me, like someone really, truly believed in me.' 'I wanted to reward him for being situated against the difficult odds,' El-Sehrawey said.  'Moving here to American, trying to learn language and at the same time study. He's done a lot of unbelievable stuff. A lot of young people have opportunities to do the same, and they would not take the opportunity.' DeSouza's former boss humbly said he was just a 'small tool to help him a little bit and to encourage him,' and it was the young man's hard work that got him to where he is.  And now he's going to 'one of the best schools in the world,' El-Sehrawey told the outlet.  'Just keep going, right? Continue, persevere and it doesn't matter how long it takes,' he added.   In a post on Facebook, DeSouza wrote: 'Four years ago, while I was working as a manager at Wendy's and finishing high school, Mr Usama El-Sehrawey and the late Mr Ernest Smily awarded me a scholarship to attend Cape Cod Community College.' 'At the time, I had no idea how much that opportunity would change my life,' he added, posting a photo of himself, El-Sehrawey and Smily's son Terry in front of a Wendy's holding Yale t-shirts.  DeSouza's former boss humbly said he was just a 'small tool to help him a little bit and to encourage him,' and it was the young man's hard work that got him to where he is In a post, he reminisced on moving to America, and said his acceptance into Yale 'is bigger than an admissions decision. It represents every immigrant student who has ever felt unseen' 'Today, four years later, I had the chance to thank them in person and share where that investment has taken me. This Fall, I'll be heading to Yale University!'  DeSouza noted that 'what has always stood out' to him about his generous bosses was 'not what they built as business owners,' but 'it's the way they invest in people.' He continued on to thank them both and said: 'Your generosity opened a door that changed my life, and I will always be grateful.' 'Sometimes all it takes is one person who believes in you. I'm living proof that,' he concluded.  The Daily Mail reached out to Wendy's and Yale for comment.