When I was just a young girl, I found my first love. I remember sitting in the backseat and listening to my mother order the Kid’s Meal Combo in the drive-thru. I would lean forward and listen to the peppy and energetic employees chatter with their enthusiastic catch phrases and "What's kickin'? Want some chicken?" I can visualize my tiny little hands finally grasping at those hot and fresh chicken fingers and dipping them into packets of ketchup, because I didn’t like the mysterious Cane’s Sauce back then. I quickly grew out of my booster seat, progressed to the much larger Three Finger Combo, and adapted my taste buds to the glorious and magically unprecedented Cane’s Sauce.

I was absolutely hooked. That secret sauce became an addiction. “Raising Cane’s!” was always the answer to what food I would like on any given occasion. Cane’s is heavenly in that way; it’s quick and affordable like fast-food, but the experience, customer service, and food quality you receive is like fine dining. I always looked at the gleaming logo outside the building and pictured that Raising Cane’s would be my first job.

My dream magically came true in the most bizarre and unexpected way. When I turned 16, I was certainly not looking for a job. I enjoyed my free time and treasured my afternoon naps, and although gas money would have been nice, working was definitely not on my radar. But when one of my friends encouraged me to apply to the nearest Raising Cane’s because he wanted to apply for his first job, I agreed to submit an application online to simply be a good friend and not let him work alone.

Not thirty minutes later after submitting my application, I received an email notifying me that Raising Cane's was requesting an interview. It wasn’t until then that I realized that I could possibly be working at the coolest place a teenager could work. However, I figured that I probably wouldn’t make it past the interview stage, and my friend would be the one to get the job.

But I got the job and he didn’t. It was only a few weeks after my 16th birthday, and I became an official Crewmember at Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers. Applying online on a whim became one of the best decisions I had made.

Working at Cane’s soon became more than the wonderful discount. Working at Cane’s was more than the cute catch phrases in the drive-thru and wearing the trendy visors. Raising Cane’s became my home away from home. My friends always complained that I was “always at work” or “spending too much time at my job,” but the truth is, I wanted to go to work. Work actually wasn’t like "working" at all. It became a fun routine to me, and having a part-time job taught me more than I could have ever imagined.

I learned time-management skills. I knew that if I had a test the morning after I had work, I had to study nights in advance. I learned how to operate with a team. If one person was slacking during the job, it affected the entire crew. I learned that sometimes, giving a smile to a customer who was upset could make their day brighter, too. Raising Cane’s taught me how to truly communicate with others effectively and efficiently.

This week was my last week working as a regular Crewmember at Cane’s since I’m moving four hours away to attend my first semester at Baylor University. I was two months shy of working there for two straight years. I could never have asked for a better first job. My co-workers became my family. They were more than just people I spoke to because I had to. We ate dinner together after shifts. We saw movies together on the weekends. We played Pokemon Go in the parking lot at midnight. We talked and laughed for hours on end. We supported each other. My co-workers were consistently the people I could look forward to talking to after a long day at school or a stressful event in my life.

I’ve seen many people come and go at Cane’s. Many people work for many reasons, but everyone I have worked with has touched my heart in a different way. Raising Cane’s is so incredibly understanding towards young people. I loved how I was able to take off work for big events like homecoming, prom, and lacrosse games, but when I wanted to work everyday during the summer to earn money before college, they gave me plenty of hours. It felt as though they truly and honestly wanted me to be there.

Raising Cane’s slogan is “One Love.” It represents one true love for the customer and one love for the tastiest chicken fingers in the world. But Raising Cane’s is more than just one love to me. It is an infinite love. I cannot express how much I have adored every second of the last 22 months working there. I’ve become the girl known for working at Cane’s. People often greet me with “Hey, it’s Macy from Cane’s!” I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So, thank you Cane’s, for having Memorial Day picnics and Easter Egg hunts with awesome prizes for employees. Thank you for surprising us with pizza at work countless times. Thank you for blasting music in the restaurant and encouraging us to have fun every day. Thank you for teaching me work ethic in a job setting that high school could never have taught me. Thank you for hiring the kindest and funniest and most energetic people to work by my side. Thank you, even though it wasn’t even my idea originally, for hiring me.

I am so blessed that I am allowed to become a seasonal worker and come back home to work during the holidays, and I even have the opportunity to transfer to a Cane’s near my college campus. I appreciate Cane's for encouraging me and pushing me to achieve my college goals. Although countless years have passed since I first fell in love with Cane’s, I am still just as excited to reach my, still, tiny fingers at the chicken strips and indulge in the heavenly bliss that is Cane’s Sauce. Come and find me when I’m back home working in December, and you’ll hear my voice in the drive-thru once again speaking the words that your child will hear in the back seat.

The catchphrase “What’s kickin’? Want some chicken?” will blare through the speakers. Look at your child in the backseat, and know that if your child wants Raising Cane’s to be their first love, they will certainly not have their heart broken.