For Starbucks partners who may not initially qualify for admission to Arizona State University through the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, Pathway to Admission offers the ability to work toward admission, with credit conversion costs fully covered.
This month, more than 1,000 Starbucks partners (employees) representing 47 states graduated from the Starbucks College Achievement Plan through our partnership with Arizona State University.
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By Kayleigh C., coffeehouse leader
When I took over my coffeehouse in fall 2023, I knew building relationships would be an important part of creating a welcoming experience. Around the same time, customers Uriah and Rachel had moved to the area and started visiting regularly. Rachel was pregnant with their first child, and they were excited to have found our coffeehouse. We bonded over having kids and both being new to the area.
They had their child, Wesley, a few months after we began connecting, and they made it a point to bring Wesley in to meet the team when he was only a few days old. It was then that I realized how special my team was to them and how much we had grown to care for them and their growing family.
As we continued seeing them, those everyday interactions turned into a strong and caring relationship between their family and our team. Through Green Apron Service, we had been intentionally focusing on getting to know our customers on a deeper level, and Uriah and Rachel were among the many regulars we connected with.
Over the years, we’ve been fortunate to celebrate many milestones alongside them. When Rachel became pregnant with their second son, Graham, our store often became one of their first stops after doctor’s appointments.
They would come in and share updates with us, and we were even asked to be part of the gender reveal announcement for their new baby.
They’ve introduced us to family members and friends visiting from out of state, and every year they make sure our team receives a Christmas card. During a (coffeehouse meeting), they even provided a catered meal for the team as a thank-you for everything we do.
They’ve shared that our team feels like family to them. It was incredibly touching to know we could provide a space where they felt comfortable in their new town and build a connection they could count on.
Their story has become one of my favorite examples of what Green Apron Service is all about. I use it when talking with new partners about what Green Apron Service means. It’s a reminder that our impact goes beyond coffee.
I have found that impact comes from intentional acts of hospitality every day. As a high-volume coffeehouse, we work hard to make every interaction feel personal.
As we try to make every interaction feel like Rachel and Uriah’s, I’ve made it a priority that we hand-deliver every cafe order. Partners walk around the counter and personally deliver drinks and food, whether customers are staying or taking them to go. Guests tell us all the time how surprised they are by that extra level of care.
We also look for opportunities to create small moments of connection, whether it’s handing out stickers during holidays and promotional launches or keeping fun surprises available for kids throughout the year.
One approach I’m especially proud of is what I call our “just say ‘yes’” mindset.
If we can do it, we just say yes. We don’t overexplain or make the process complicated. We make it easy and comfortable for customers to order, ask questions and explore our menu.
I’ve seen the results of that approach not only with Uriah and Rachel but throughout our community. Living and working in the same area means I often hear stories about the impact our team has made.
When I go to the grocery store or attend activities at my sons’ schools, people tell me about experiences they’ve had with my team. It’s amazing to hear those stories and see the role our store plays in the community.
While we value every regular customer who walks through our doors, the relationship with Uriah, Rachel, Wesley and Graham will always hold a special place in my heart.
We love all our regulars, but this relationship is especially meaningful. It showcases exactly what we’re trying to achieve through Green Apron Service. We took the time to get to know them, and the more we learned about each other, the more connected we all became.
What started as two people connecting over a shared new experience has become a friendship and a foundation of trust, care and genuine human connection for a coffeehouse.
By Sandra S., coffeehouse leader
My Starbucks journey began in Hemet, California, in June 2005, and I’ve now been a partner for over 21 years. Three months after I started, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer and took a three-month leave of absence for surgery and recovery. When I returned, my manager, Mike C. (now a district manager in Florida), and one of my closest friends encouraged me to lead a community event called Relay For Life for the American Cancer Society. Until then, I had never heard of the organization or the event.
When the day arrived, I spent 24 straight hours sitting on a football field with a Starbucks table and Cambros full of coffee. I was amazed at how many participants lined up at my booth, including children that just wanted an empty cup as a souvenir (this was a testament to our brand). Throughout the day, I was touched to see how many of the partners from my coffeehouse came to visit and to walk the track or support. This day was the start of an amazing relationship with Cathi Hill, who leads the Relay for Life in California. For the next few years, we would collaborate on how we could work together to raise money for cancer research. Each year I created a relay team of partners amongst the district to help with this event.
Then the dreadful news came in 2007 that I had cancer again with a malignant melanoma that had spread to my lymph nodes. This hit hard. I had to have surgery to remove the cancer. I underwent interferon therapy, had 30 blood transfusions, was hospitalized for a total of 12 weeks, lost my spleen and contracted pneumonia five times. When I had to be out of work intermittently for approximately 10 months, my assistant manager Ashlee M. took over the Relay for Life duties for me that year. My district manager and Ashlee (now a district manager herself in the Carolinas) organized partners from all over the district to get involved in the Relay for Life’s luminaria ceremony, where decorated paper are lit with messages all around the track to honor or remember those affected by cancer.
While I walked the track that night with lymph drains attached to my body from my surgery, the luminaria bags were lit in my honor around the track. Writing this now still brings tears to my eyes.
My work with the American Cancer Society and this moment led me to be involved in many community events over the years and to become a community leader. In 2015, when part of our area plan was to increase partner community engagement. I felt that this was an area that I could influence. Many partners were not aware of the benefits we had, such as Partner Match.
There was a partner in my district who was a softball coach. I loved her passion. I had this idea to create a Starbucks Strike out Cancer Softball tournament where we would play and raise money for cancer research. With her support and my connection to the American Cancer Society, with more than 200 partners from coffeehouses all over their district we raised around $3,000 dollars that first year from donations and partner matches. Afterwards, partners from across the area kept reaching out to me asking when we were going to do this again. In the more than 10 years since, we’ve raised around $50,000 for American Cancer Society.
What started with that first volunteer relay event in 2005 has became my legacy in Area 97. I am extremely honored to tell this story because it is an amazing example of using our scale for good, what happens when we take being good neighbors seriously and the power of human connection.
Blythe P., District Manager
People love to joke about dreading Mondays. There are memes about needing more weekends or wishing vacation would last just a little longer.
Then there’s me. I love Mondays.
At Starbucks, Monday is where the story picks back up. It is the day I get to sit with my leaders, review our results, celebrate our teams and coach what comes next. I get to look at our coffeehouses not just as businesses, but as places where people gather, connect and grow.
Today, I hosted a community workshop and met with all of my leaders. I couldn’t wait for those conversations – the he energy in the room, the ideas being shared, the commitment to our partners and our customers filled me up.
If I’m being honest, I am probably overdue for a vacation. But I love what I do so much that I only want to go somewhere if there is a beautiful Starbucks waiting for me there. I will also admit, I do nothing without my emotional-support coffee in hand.
Every day at Starbucks is centered around people, coffee, quality and connection. I find that exhilarating and deeply enriching.
When I started nearly 30 years ago, I was already a coffee enthusiast. Back then I had to defend my choice to work for a corporate coffee company. But I believed in what we were doing. I still do. I believe in our brand and what we do with every ounce of my being.
I have grown up with Starbucks. Starbucks went from a place of work to a true place where I belong, and it has helped shape me.
It showed me what it feels like when people have pride in winning. It taught me what true quality obsession looks like. It proved to me that when good is used for scale, it can change the world. That is why I stayed.
Over the years, I went from scooping beans and making lattes to developing leaders and helping shape the culture inside our coffeehouses. My partners started calling me a culture keeper, and that means everything to me.
I see my role as taking care of the feeling in our coffeehouses. The standard. The warmth. The connection. Making sure every partner feels seen and every customer feels welcomed.
In March of 2020, I traveled to Costa Rica through the Starbucks College Achievement Plan. At a time when the world felt uncertain, I stood at Hacienda Alsalcia and saw the full story come to life. From the soil, to the bean, to the cup, to the customer.
It reminded me that Starbucks is not just a company. It is a community. There have been challenges and there will be more. We are built to last. I was built to help keep the culture strong. People ask me if I still love what I do after all these years.
My answer is simple: I go to bed excited to wake up the next day. Because I get to share coffee with incredible people and be part of something meaningful.
And maybe that is what the Siren represents to me. Not just a symbol, but a calling. A reminder to keep showing up, to keep drawing people in and to protect what makes this place special.
One cup at a time.
One partner at a time.
One coffeehouse at a time.
In 2018, I moved to Austin from the Dallas area to start working at a church in the city. I had just graduated from seminary, and this was going to be my first full-time job as a youth minister. I was so excited. I had been studying and working towards this for a long time.
However, I had been struggling with my mental health for the past few years while in grad school, and neglecting my health was starting to catch up with me. I couldn’t focus for very long, I had long episodes of depression, and I wasn’t feeling fulfilled in my life. The combination eventually led to me being let go from my job. It’s hard to perform well at work and take care of others when you aren’t taking care of yourself.
So, there I was in Austin, hundreds of miles away from my family and friends, without a job, and no real idea what I would do next. I knew that I needed to go to the doctor and get some help. I knew I needed health insurance and benefits, and I knew that Starbucks offers benefits to its part-time employees. So, I applied to Starbucks (I had been a barista at a local coffee shop when I was in grad school) and got a position as a shift supervisor in downtown Austin.I started working in May 2019, and I was immediately able to see the doctors and therapists and professionals I needed to get help using my Starbucks benefits. Suddenly, I found this part-time job that I got to help me in between careers was giving me more than what I could have ever hoped for. I felt called to show up for customers, for my fellow partners, and for myself. I found opportunities to grow as a leader and as a professional. Seven years later, I am a coffeehouse leader, able to help people who, like me seven years ago, need the opportunity to grow in their life and their career.
My favorite part of the First Sip is the coffee tasting you begin with. It gives me a chance to tell them my Starbucks story and gives me the opportunity to learn more about them. I share the highlights of this story. Of how I came to Starbucks for the benefits, and how I quickly fell in love with the company and decided to pursue a career here. I share that story upfront so that my partners know that I’m a person and a partner here, too. I’m not solely focused on the business operations – I’m here to care about them. Howard Shultz said it best at Leadership Experience 2025. “Take care of your people, and they will take care of you.” It’s the message I’ve lived since I started in leadership.
I really believe that working at Starbucks saved my life. I think I would have slowly gotten worse and worse both mentally and physically. If it weren’t for the benefits I was able to access as a Starbucks Partner, I would not have been able to get the help I needed to turn my life around. I am never going to forget how much Starbucks meant to me when I needed it the most.
7-year Starbucks Partner Future biochemistry grad
Chantel joined Starbucks seven years ago and aspires to become a physician. Through the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, she’s well on her way to achieving that dream by pursuing a biochemistry degree from Arizona State University. As a SCAP partner, she receives 100% upfront tuition coverage and is set to graduate next year.
Alongside her husband — also a Starbucks partner! — Chantel has embraced the company’s support every step of the way. A shift supervisor in Georgia, she benefited from Starbucks paid parental leave of up to 18 weeks, allowing her to spend more time with her growing family. When they recently relocated, she leveraged Starbucks’ Bean Stock program to help ease the cost of the transition.
With Starbucks behind her, Chantel is brewing a bright future and proving that anything is possible with the right support.
By Andrew A., coffeehouse leader
Growing up, both my husband and I were raised in households where being gay was not openly accepted or understood. Coming to terms with who we were and finding the courage to come out was a difficult journey for each of us. For much of our lives, we were led to believe that certain dreams, especially becoming parents, simply were not possible for people like us.
As we built our life together, we often talked about what our future might look like. We knew we wanted a family, but the path to parenthood felt complicated, uncertain and financially out of reach. Like many LGBTQ+ couples, we faced unique challenges and barriers when exploring options to have children.
Everything changed when we learned about Starbucks Family Expansion Benefit, which covers eligible costs associated with adoption and surrogacy, and is available to all benefits eligible part- and full-time partners.
The benefit helped make parenthood a realistic possibility by providing financial support for us that would otherwise have been difficult to afford. More importantly, it sent a powerful message that Starbucks genuinely supports all families and believes that every partner deserves the opportunity to pursue their dream of becoming a parent.
With the support of this benefit, my husband and I were able to move forward and begin our journey. It helped remove financial obstacles that had stood in our way and allowed us to focus on the joy and excitement of becoming parents.
Today, we are the proud parents of a beautiful 4-year-old daughter who has brought more love, laughter and purpose into our lives than we ever imagined. Every day, we are reminded of how different our story could have been without the support we received through Starbucks.
Thank you, Starbucks, for recognizing that families come in many forms and for helping make ours possible
By Paige D., coffeehouse leader
My Starbucks journey began in 2016 when I moved home after college. Like so many others, I was figuring out what exactly it was I was going to do next.
My aunt had previously worked at Starbucks as a shift supervisor, and she encouraged me to apply. I remember her telling me about the health care benefits, along with 401(k) matching and Bean Stock.
I was hooked.
When I started as a barista, my passion was craft. I was obsessed with creating the most picture-perfect beverages and working as a team to meet customer expectations. My store manager taught me so much about what leadership could look like, and I wanted to explore that next level.
I became a shift supervisor and developed that passion for connection and community, and to not just meet but exceed customer expectations and drive results.
After some time in that role, I took another job opportunity outside of Starbucks. It made me realize that the grass was not, in fact, greener on the other side. I was rehired at Starbucks in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a time when connection was struggling the most and a time of uncertainty, I returned to the one place where I felt I truly belonged — Starbucks. I put on that green apron once again and felt like I was home. Starbucks has always remained a consistent, safe place for me to learn and grow. It was this time around that I was ready to explore that next step, and I applied for the assistant store manager role.
In August 2025, my husband and I welcomed our first child. As a new mom trying to ground myself in this motherhood era, I am so thankful for the 18 weeks of paid leave available to bond as a family. To not only have the support of the company, but to be able to share this joy with my peers, and to have the support daily of my fellow coffeehouse leaders who have since become some of my best friends, is a company perk that can’t be matched anywhere else. I also am such a huge advocate for using the Headspace app and have been utilizing Lyra for added support in this delicate time.
There is a quote by author and leadership expert John Maxwell that goes, “Leaders become great not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.” I think back to that lost girl just starting with Starbucks and not knowing where life was going to go.
I think back on all the coffeehouses I have had the privilege of working in and the partners I have shared this journey with — so many are still in my circle. I have been able to find my path, all because a leader believed in me and empowered me to find my own greatness.
Today, that’s why I love being a coffeehouse leader. My passion is being able to walk alongside those partners finding their way. Whether their time here is just a stepping stone in their journey or if they are interested in next-level leadership, I strive to be a leader who empowers others to find their why.
Our location in downtown Grand Rapids is a Mobile Order & Pay, pick-up-forward location. We have embraced our unique concept to focus on our downtown community and to foster that community connection. Our partners are big advocates for the Neighborhood Grant program Starbucks provides to give back. We have so much to offer, and I am proud to see our company embrace the courage to pursue greatness past our comfort zones.
I want to give a shoutout to that coffeehouse leader who has been my coach, role model and friend for years, Lindsay R. Lindsay has shown me what being a leader means — how to hold space for partners, how to celebrate wins as a team, how to empower a team to do the hard work.
It’s through the leadership of those before me that has led me down this path to honor our green apron partners and deliver the Starbucks Experience to partners and customers.
It is here where we all grow together.
I started my Starbucks journey as a green bean six years ago in June 2020. When I was a barista, I would see my store manager (coffeehouse leader) head to her team meetings with other leaders in our district. I was always curious about what was happening and would jokingly tell her that someday I would be in those meetings with her.
I was focused on developing, and when I became a shift supervisor, I prioritized creating the best environment for my team. Uplifting my team has always been front and center, getting to know them on a personal level and having fun. I wanted everyone in the store to feel like they belonged.
I always admired how my coffeehouse lead took the time to get to know each and everyone of her partners and connect with us in some way.
As I went into the coffeehouse leader role myself, I knew I wanted to make the partner experience great. It’s what made me want to be a leader in the first place.
Today, I try and create the same culture and focus for my team as she did along with a sense of belonging for my partners where they feel confident in their role. I have now been a coffeehouse leader for a little over two years in Corpus Christi, Texas. I had my first full circle moment last year by promoting one of my baristas to shift supervisor, and I couldn’t have been more excited to celebrate that milestone with them. I have since had the pleasure of celebrating my previous shift supervisor going into the assistant store manager role and my current assistant store manager moving into the coffeehouse leader role.
As I continue to work toward developing into a district manager one day, my district manager has challenged me to inspire beyond my store and into the district. This has shifted how I see my role. I’m not just leading my team; I’m looking for ways to support my peers around me as well. I still lead with the partner experience first, helping my team and peers grow, develop and see what’s possible.
*This story has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Alyssa and Kristen are sisters who grew up together in a small Pittsburgh-area town, just five minutes from the Starbucks where Kristen is now the coffeehouse leader. But for many years, they were on their own separate paths, until Starbucks brought them back together.
“We’re sisters,” Kristen said. “But growing up, there was a lot going on. There were years when we weren’t close.”
Finding independence and a place that feels like home
Alyssa moved out of her family home at a young age and learned independence early. “I was in survival mode for a long time,” she said. Before joining Starbucks, she worked at a local coffee shop in her town, so coffee became the first place she felt useful.
But she needed health insurance, especially because she was suffering from an autoimmune disorder and couldn’t afford the medical care she needed to treat it. She turned to Starbucks and, in addition to getting benefits, also found a place where she belonged.
I came because I needed healthcare. I stayed because the mission matched who I already was.
Alyssa, Coffeehouse Leader
She was inspired by having her talents and skills truly recognized, and by the fact that she was never judged for her past. “I am proudly a person in recovery and struggled with addiction in my younger years,” she said.
She sees the power of the journey she has made from addiction to fully supporting herself and finding her place in the world, she said. Now, as a seven-year partner (employee) and a coffeehouse leader, she draws on her experiences to inspire the people around her to grow every day.
Reaching out and sharing an opportunity
Alyssa knew her sister was struggling and she wanted her to have this opportunity to work somewhere she could find stability and grow in a positive environment. This was the exact environment she wanted for her sister, Kristen. So, she reached out.
Kristen initially resisted her sister’s recruitment efforts. “I said no for months,” she laughs. But when her partner was severely injured and she became his caregiver while navigating her own issues with depression and an addiction relapse, the seed Alyssa planted finally took root.
“I didn’t know I needed Starbucks. But I needed it,” said Kristen, who is now a six-year partner and, like her sister, is a coffeehouse leader.
Not long after she began her Starbucks journey, Kristen realized she needed to take the time and space to get some support. “Alyssa actually helped me approach my store manager and tell her, ‘Hey, I’m not doing well. I need some time.’ She helped me ask for help.”
She was afraid she’d lose her job or be replaced, but instead, “they helped me take a leave, get treatment and come back.”
Finding their way back to each other
Both sisters rebuilt their lives and as they grew from baristas to coffeehouse leaders and along the way they also rebuilt something else — their relationship.
“Us working both working at Starbucks helped us relax, put our guard down and get to know each other again,” said Kristen. “The positive environment helped us rebuild our relationship in a way we never had before.”
Alyssa agrees.
“Nothing grows in toxic soil,” she said. “Starbucks gave us ground where healing and possibility, could take root.”
Life-changing benefits
Alyssa and Kristen say that the benefits were turning points, not perks. At Starbucks, they had access to health insurance, mental health support and other benefits that are available to eligible partners who work 20 hours a week or more. They also found financial stability.
“It literally changed my life,” Alyssa said. “I own my house now. That used to feel impossible.”
“I know who I am now,” Kristen added. “I know I add value.”
When asked what advice they’d share if they were supporting another partner going through a similar situation, Kristen said “If you’re looking for a second chance, you don’t have to do it alone.”
19 years ago, I began this part-time coffee journey…What started as a 42-year-old father needing best in class health care benefits has turned out to be the very best group of supporters, advocates, trusted business partners, storytellers and coffee lovers.”
Larry S., barista, WA
Outside the U.S., we provide locally relevant benefits to baristas, such as illness insurance for parents of partners in China, mental health and family expansion benefits in Canada, healthcare benefits in Japan, and a five-day work week in India.
When I started working in an all-women store, we were open about everything, like sharing anything with our team. When we have our store briefings, we could talk openly. So that was one thing which I loved the most about an all-women store. And I love how the customers also observed us… it was like, they were surprised. They’ve never seen this thing.”
Sneha, store manager, India
Our Barista First 30 program gives new partners essential training in their first month, with more training at 90 and 190 days. Partners can also become Barista Trainers and take advantage of continuous learning and mentorship programs.
Today, between 59% and 83% of our U.S. retail leadership roles (shift supervisor on up) were filled internally, depending on role and level. We aim to increase that to 90% within three years.
As I reflect on the past 20 years, never had I imagined as a young 19-year-old I’d grow up with Starbucks, let alone make a career out of it. Coming from a broken family, I was looking for security, community and sense of purpose, and through Starbucks I found that.
I started [at Starbucks] right out of high school looking for health benefits and it’s lead me to my second family. Starbucks has taught me grit, perseverance, kindness, empathy and leadership skills I didn’t even realize I was capable of.”
Michelle G., store manager, OR
Through the Starbucks College Achievement Plan (SCAP), U.S. partners can get 100% tuition coverage for a first-time bachelor’s degree at Arizona State University (ASU).
For those needing extra support, the Pathway to Admission program helps partners work toward admission to ASU, and veterans can extend SCAP benefits to a family member.
I was an [shift supervisor] for four years before joining SCAP in 2017. Finally, in December 2021, I graduated and wanted to leverage my hard work and take advantage of my degree. Through networking and perseverance, I was offered a time-limited assignment in retail communications in March 2022, and currently work as a communications associate manager at Starbucks. SCAP has empowered me to pursue my aspirations.”
Elyssa H., Class of 2021, communications associate manager at Starbucks
I am currently a 911 dispatcher [in Tennessee] where we process 911 calls and dispatch fire, police and EMS for the entire county… The SCAP program is one I recommend to anyone within Starbucks with career aspirations. I know I never could have gone back to school without this program, and it has absolutely changed my life!”
Sarah A., Class of 2022, 911 Dispatcher
The Coffee Master program awards a coveted Black Apron to partners with deep coffee knowledge with the opportunity for select participants to visit one of three Starbucks coffee farms around the world to learn the origin story of coffee.
Picking coffee cherries was very emotional. I thought back to my mom telling me stories how her dad would pick cherries on Oaxaca trees and would go and sell his coffee. When I went to Mexico last summer, I talked to my uncles, and told them I was applying to go to Costa Rica for the Origin Experience. And they’re like, ‘Oh, your grandpa would be so proud.’”
Rosa L., store manager, CA