Ananya Singla

A rising senior at Detroit Country Day School, Ananya Singla from Bloomfield Hills recently published her first book: Drive Through Diaries: A Lesson in Life and Fries (FriesenPress) inspired by her professional reflections. Yet, the teen author did not plan to pursue this path.

“I never really considered myself a proper writer,” she said. “But I worked at McDonald’s and it was such a big learning curve for me. I matured in that job and learned how to properly interact with others and fiscal responsibilities.”

Her mom encouraged her to document the lessons she learned. “There were funny stories, so I thought it would be fun to write a book to help other people like me who haven’t entered the workforce yet and could use it as a guide,” said Singla. “It was a really fun process.”

On the lighter side, Singla shares a memorable moment. “I was making a smoothie in a blender and there is a cleaner that is highly pressurized and sprouts up water. The lid of the blender fell onto the washing system and the smoothie drenched the entire kitchen in water and smoothie bits,” she recalled. “It was on the floor and the ceiling and my uniform and my manager. In the end, it was something to laugh about.” She also never made the same mistake again.

The observations and interactions had a lasting impact. “Everybody knows everybody has their own independent life, but I had a co-worker who was working at a slower pace and a fast food restaurant can get a little hectic,” said Singla. “I was getting really frustrated, but I thought, let me ask her, ‘Are you okay?’ She said she was a little tired because she goes to night school and then has to come to work. That made me take a step back and appreciate her. I was a 15-year-old teen doing this job for fun and to get some pocket money. It made me stop and think that you should give people some leniency and work as a team and think about where people are coming from.”

Singla, who currently works at a pediatric clinic and as an SAT tutor, plans to pursue the healthcare profession and hopes to attend medical school. “I really do love helping people,” she said. The young author also hopes to help teens with her book and give them a laugh.

“I hope that people take away one lesson. It sounds like a cliché, but it really is all about mindset. I went into that job with an open mind and I learned from my manager and co-workers and customers,” said Singla, who also had the opportunity to interview a McDonald’s franchise owner for her book.

Writing a book taught her many valuable skills. “I have so much respect for authors. It was definitely a marathon, not a sprint. It took about a year-and-a-half to get to the finish line for about 120 pages,” she said. “I reached out to publishing companies and then sent the manuscript back and forth to the publisher for editing. We finally got the manuscript done and then came the illustrations. I had to describe scenarios to an illustrator, which also taught me how to write and be super descriptive. I love the illustrations and I hope the reader does too.”

The cover design, chapter layout and font would follow. Singla has then reached out to local media, libraries and bookstores to share her experiences.

“No matter where you are working – it can be fast food or a hospital – it doesn’t matter what you do, all the lessons I learned, like how to interact with others and handle money, are applicable to many different situations.”

Story: Jeanine Matlow

Photo: Laurie Tennent