August 7, 2026
Thalles Winner DeSouza will enroll at Yale this fall after incomes admission in Could 2026.
A former Wendy’s shift supervisor who immigrated to the USA after fleeing gun violence in Brazil is getting ready to attend Yale College on a full scholarship after two franchise homeowners helped pay for his faculty training, The New York Publish reviews.
In keeping with the outlet, Thalles Winner DeSouza will enroll at Yale this fall after incomes admission in Could 2026. His acceptance follows years of educational achievement and monetary help from Cape Cod Wendy’s franchise homeowners Usama El-Sehrawey and the late Ernest Smily, who inspired him to pursue greater training as a substitute of leaving the corporate for a higher-paying building job.
El-Sehrawey instructed TODAY.com that when DeSouza shared plans to depart Wendy’s to save cash for school, he urged him to remain and promised to assist make faculty potential. The franchise homeowners started setting apart cash based mostly on the hours DeSouza labored, ultimately masking three years of tuition at Cape Cod Neighborhood School.
“On the time, I had no thought how a lot that chance would change my life,” DeSouza wrote in a Fb put up printed July 28.
Whereas attending Cape Cod Neighborhood School, DeSouza earned straight A’s, based a campus spiritual membership, and served as pupil physique president for 2 years. He later transferred to Bunker Hill Neighborhood School earlier than making use of to Yale. In keeping with the Yale Every day Information, the college admits roughly 2% of switch candidates.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, DeSouza stated his household moved to the USA in 2016 after he survived a taking pictures inside their house. He was 13 and didn’t communicate English when he arrived.
DeSouza stated Yale awarded him a full scholarship valued at greater than $194,500. He plans to main in political science, minor in human rights, and observe a pre-law observe as he works towards changing into an legal professional.
El-Sehrawey instructed the outlet that he wished to acknowledge DeSouza’s dedication and work ethic regardless of the challenges he confronted after immigrating to the USA.
Reflecting on his journey, DeSouza credited the franchise homeowners for believing in his potential.
“Typically all it takes is one one that believes in you,” he wrote. “I’m residing proof of that.”
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