Suffolk County Residents Complete 'English Under the Arches' Course

Ten Suffolk County McDonald’s employees recently graduated from ‘English Under the Arches’, an English language learning course for non-native speaking employees.

A special graduation ceremony was held last month in their honor in Hauppauge.

The all-female class consisted of employees from two different McDonald’s franchises owned and operated by Mike Daggett and Josh Kaufman.

“Archways to Opportunity is a great program that I support one hundred percent,” Daggett, who owns and operates the restaurants where six of the graduates work. “I encourage my employees to participate not just to advance in their careers but for their personal development as well.”

The graduates are in their early 20s to 50s and have immigrated from Mexico, Central and South American countries.

The graduates of ‘English Under the Arches’ included:

• Diana Canales, 33, of Amityville
• Blanca Ortez, 34, of Massapequa
• Maria Carmona, 41, of Central Islip
• Melissa Guerrero, 21 of Amityville
• Morena Hernandez of Brentwood
• Albi Lopez, 27, of Riverhead
• Maria Orellena, 42, of Mastic
• Mayra Pangol, 30, of Riverhead
• Argentina Euceda de Pehowich, 50, of Lindenhurst
• Karina Velasquez, 35, of Mastic

“The ‘English Under the Arches’ classes have been really fun,” Diana Canales, a McDonald’s crew member in Shirley who has been with the Kaufman Organization for 11 years said. “I’m happy to have this chance to learn and improve my English.”