I've been working at Burger King for nearly 4 years now, and while some days I've wanted nothing more than to walk out and be done, overall, I owe my restaurant a big, genuine "thank you."

When I first started, I was a timid, self-conscious teenager with no sense of interpersonal skills. I had panic attacks when I was scheduled to work up front with customers and didn't talk to any of my coworkers unless spoken to first. I consistently checked the schedule days in advance to ensure I was working with 1 of 2 or 3 specific shift leaders; if I wasn't scheduled with them, I would call in "sick."