McDonald's partnered with Astronaut Katya Echazarreta to inspire Hispanic students.

With college application season taking off, McDonald’s USA helped Hispanic high school seniors reach for the stars with the HACER National Scholarship. This year, in addition to awarding half a million dollars in scholarship funds to 30 stellar applicants, the Golden Arches recruited Katya Echazarreta, a former McDonald’s crew member who recently made history as the first Mexican-born woman in outer space, for her biggest mission yet: inspiring Hispanic students to pursue their higher education dreams.

The McDonald's HACER National Scholarship is one of the largest programs committed to college scholarships and resources for Hispanics. In addition to offering financial assistance, McDonald’s featured Katya as a guest speaker on this year’s HACER Education Tour across high schools in select U.S. cities, and as host of in-person and virtual mentorship sessions.

Katya joins this year’s program to support the company as it helps bridge the educational gap for students. While her educational journey was not a straight shot, the first-generation college student attributes her success to hard work and building a strong support system. Through this program, she aims to connect with students over shared challenges to instill in them the confidence que si se puede and that college is within reach.