Jazmine Battle Funes ’15 set her sights on her future success when she was just 16 years old, working a high school job at the local Chick-fil-A. 

She had accepted the position thinking only of the present and the challenges in her life. She wanted to contribute to the family’s finances and help her mother, who was working 70 hours a week to support Funes and her sister. While on the job, Funes admired and learned from the store’s owner, who told her why he loved running the business and encouraged her in a difficult time in her life.

That sense of caring and the community mission of the company appealed to young Funes, and she decided then that she wanted to be an owner/operator of a Chick-fil-A someday. She kept that singular focus even as she attended college, nurtured other passions, and traveled the world. Funes was a student at Randolph-Macon when Chick-fil-A opened in Ashland, and she became an enthusiastic part of the crew that opened the popular location.

Her certainty about her path was so strong that she was freed to pursue a passion while a student at Randolph-Macon. Her mentor at her job advised that her future company was more interested in a well-rounded and complete education than any specific major, and told her to go for something that she loved.

“I was like, ‘Okay, when am I going to have the opportunity to study music?’” she recalls. And so she did, studying theory and stretching herself as a vocalist with a major in Music while minoring in Communication Studies.

Funes recalls that the size and location of the College made it a perfect fit. At RMC, like at Chick-fil-A, she felt cared for. “It was a very intimate place,” she said. Favorite memories include a travel course to Greece and Turkey and her summer job working in the Campus Store.

“Barclay represented the College so well. She loved and cared for everyone she came into contact with, including me!” she said.

In 2017, Funes entered Chick-fil-A’s Leadership Development Program as a Grand Opening Supervisor. During that time, she traveled the U.S. for two-and-a-half years with her husband and beagle in tow. In 2018, she officially began the rigorous process for an owner/operator role. Awarding her more than a coveted franchisee position, Chick-fil-A gave her a history-making opportunity: Funes was selected to open a location outside Toronto, Canada – just the fourth international location as part of the company’s global expansion. The role makes her the first African-American woman to own such a store internationally.

“When I got the call from Chick-fil-A, I remember feeling like I’m so blessed and honored that I’m able to be a part of history,” Funes said. “I can tell younger girls, if you put in the hard work and dedication, you can accomplish your dreams.”