When Maxene Thomas, 37, moved to America from his native Haiti to Miami with his mother and five siblings in 2002, his English vocabulary was limited.
In fact, he says, “My very first job was at Burger King, and I didn’t understand English, so I had to quit.”
Fast-forward 20-plus years, and he’s a U.S. citizen and proficient in the English language as well as his native Creole.
He didn’t let that Burger King job discourage him. He continued to pursue a career in food, working in several restaurants, including Country Place in East Brainerd.
“I loved it there,” he says. “They treated me like family.”