Restaurant General Manager (RGM) Tamlyn White is the definition of a go-getter. At just 22 years old, Tamlyn leads our Miller Road Pizza Hut in Scottsdale, AZ, all while working toward a college degree!
Tamlyn already participates in our tuition assistance program, which is helping her pursue an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration from Colorado Technical University. But this past October, Celeste Bendel, a Regional Director here at Desert de Oro (DDO), informed Tamlyn of another opportunity for educational advancement: a scholarship from the Pizza Hut Foundation.
At the encouragement of Celeste, Tamlyn applied — and won!
But First, a Little Background
We’d be remiss if we didn’t start with a little bit about Tamlyn’s incredible DDO career trajectory.
At just 17, Tamlyn began working as a team member at one of our Pizza Hut locations. She hadn’t heard of DDO before, but upon starting, she was immediately impressed with our team’s positive attitude — as well as the long list of benefits available to her.
As she began honing her pizza-slinging skills, Tamlyn showed major promise. We recognized her leadership potential and promoted her to Shift Manager the moment she turned 18! This role allowed Tamlyn to work at a few of our different Pizza Hut locations, where she met other DDO colleagues and learned more about our company.
“I never thought that this would be a career. I have made it to that point — where it’s genuinely a career and something I’m looking to stay in long-term.”
Tamlyn White, Pizza Hut Restaurant General Manager
At 19, when it was clear Tamlyn had mastered being a Shift Manager, she was promoted to Assistant General Manager (AGM) of our Pizza Hut in Mesa. She trained there, and at her current location in Scottsdale, before officially being promoted to RGM at just 21! It’s been a year since, and Tamlyn is thoroughly enjoying her new position and responsibilities.
Work Hard, Study Hard
Meanwhile, Tamlyn takes college classes online, which allows her the flexibility to work and study. She shares that DDO has been extremely supportive while she juggles both. After obtaining her Associate’s Degree, Tamlyn would love to work toward a Bachelor’s in business administration. Her ultimate goal? A career in marketing or finance … at DDO! She’s already put some feelers out there with our HR department.
“I would really love to move up within the company,” Tamlyn says, citing our culture, morale and people as reasons for her decision.
The Scoop on the Scholarship
To be eligible for the $3,500 Pizza Hut Foundation Scholarship, Tamlyn had to first have a minimum 2.5 GPA and complete a 14-week mentorship program. She then had to write an essay addressed to the Foundation’s sponsors detailing how she would use her degree to help others.
Tamlyn’s response was moving: with her Business Administration degree, she hopes to educate the youth about money management. She believes that many people struggle financially because they were never taught the basics, like how to save, make a budget, or plan for retirement. Tamlyn would use her financial knowledge to give young people the financial foundation they need to succeed in their own futures.
The Pizza Hut Foundation was impressed by Tamlyn’s plan and awarded her the scholarship!
“Giving somebody something is one thing, but teaching them something they can take with them is [even better].”
Tamlyn White, Pizza Hut Restaurant General Manager
A Stellar Support System
Tamlyn is incredibly grateful for the support she’s gotten on the path to furthering her education. She’d like to give a shout out to Matthew Murphy, who was her Area Coach for a long time, and Celeste — whose encouragement, Tamlyn says, is what made her apply in the first place. Finally, Tamlyn would like to thank all the sponsors and those at the Pizza Hut Foundation who chose her as the scholarship winner!
Dreams really can come true at DDO! Follow in Tamlyn’s footsteps and apply to join our team.