McDonald’s fast-food restaurant in Lampasas has served as the pathway to golden opportunities for employees Mary DeBellis and Marbel Rivera. The pair earned their college degrees from Colorado Tech University via the restaurant chain’s Archways to Opportunity program.
DeBellis is general manager at the Lampasas McDonald’s, while Rivera serves as office staff for the 16 area franchises owned by Lynette and Hampton Conlan.
Founded in 2015, the Archways to Opportunity program allows McDonald’s employees the opportunity to learn English language skills, earn a high school diploma at no cost, and pursue a college degree with tuition help.
Since its launch, the program has provided education to more than 65,000 McDonald’s employees, with 45,000 of those receiving assistance with post-secondary expenses. The Golden Arches has awarded more than $125 million in tuition help over the years.
DeBellis has been a part of the Lampasas McDonald’s team for 19 years. Originally from Copperas Cove, she moved to Lampasas when she was 17 and graduated from Lampasas High School in 2005.
DeBellis started working at McDonald’s in 2006 and has served in nearly every role within the fast-food eatery.
“I came in and Lynette interviewed me right on the spot,” DeBellis said. “She trained me and brought me up in the company. It has been a great adventure actually. I started out as crew, then I was crew trainer, then a shift manager, and then I became a general manager.”
Lynette and Hampton Conlan said DeBellis has always been driven to succeed. The couple realized the quality of her work ethic when the general manager position became available.
“There were all these courses that you took on your own to basically move up,” Hampton said of their employee. “Lynette said, ‘Let's go see who is the furthest in their behind-thescenes education’ … and it was Mary. You never know when it’s your turn. You have to be ready. That is the way this business works.”
DeBellis said she never anticipated pursuing higher education after starting her career at McDonald’s.
“Honestly, when I started here I didn't think I was going to further my education,” she said. “I was 19, was pregnant, and it was just ‘OK, I’m going to work now.’ Then this program became part of the organization, and Lynette and Hampton hounded me for years, and I was finally like, ‘OK.’ ” Rivera, a 2010 Lometa High School graduate, knew the Conlans from church and started babysitting their 4-month-old child before she ended up working at the restaurant for the couple in 2018.
“I started working with them part-time,” Rivera said. “I was working somewhere else and going to college, so I had two jobs, and she [Lynette] asked me to be full-time. I decided to do that and have been with them since then.”
When she started at McDonald’s, Rivera handled new employee paperwork. Now, her tasks focus more on the payroll responsibilities. Originally, she was attending Central Texas College to pursue a teaching pathway but grew to love working in the office.
“I was going to become a teacher, and that is what I wanted to do,” Rivera said. “Then, when I started doing my orientation hours after school, I was like, ‘I don’t know if I can do this for the rest of my life,’ to be honest.”
Rivera has an associate degree from CTC and started pursuing her bachelor’s degree from Colorado Tech University in 2022.
DeBellis started her fouryear degree at CTU in 2021.
Both employees graduated in December. The Archways to Opportunity’s partnership with CTU enabled them to earn their degrees without cost.
Rivera said she enjoyed the flexibility of the program.
“I love how they work with you,” she said. “You don’t have to go full-time.
They make sure you do good in your classes, so you don’t have to go and take four classes. You can take a class every five weeks, which is actually really great with working full-time and having kids.”
DeBellis said she advises those who are young and maybe aren’t college-ready to look for a career that can provide future opportunities – like McDonald’s.
“I would encourage them to come to work at McDonald’s and get started,” DeBelllis said. “I would encourage them to further their education. The way I see it, that is their way of saying, ‘Thank you for being here every day, showing up, and staying through everything.’ ”
