A 15-year-old from Mississippi went viral for turning a summer gig into a group hustle with his friends, but the story took a wild left turn when Burger King fired all of them.
Corderrion Valentine, a high schooler from Vicksburg, just wanted to make some money during summer break without constantly hitting up his mom for cash. His mom, Shakayla Dixon, worked as a manager at a Burger King in Clinton and offered him a spot. Instead of clocking in solo, Corderrion brought the squad—his basketball teammates Fabian Moore, Devin Banks, and Felton Moore—so they could all grind together.
“We wanted money for ourselves so we wouldn’t have to always ask our parents,” Valentine said. His teammate, 15-year-old Banks, added, “I felt like it would be fun working with my friends and not ask my mom and dad for everything.”
The teens worked 20–25 hours a week, saving for school clothes, sneakers, and college funds—all while making it clear they’d rather work than get caught up in the streets.
“We could be out here shooting and being violent, but we chose to work,” Valentine said. “I hope this motivates young people around the world to stay out of trouble.”
The teens’ story struck a chord online after Dixon posted about their initiative on Facebook, and the internet ate it up: 10,000 likes, 5,000 shares. Then Nick Cannon reposted the story to his 6 million followers, which racked up nearly 100,000 likes. Local leaders even brought the kids to Vicksburg City Hall for recognition. For a minute, it felt like everyone was rooting for them.
But the corporate side of Burger King? Not so much. Dixon said she got a call from upper management about “nepotism” and “policy violations.” Basically, the company didn’t like that she hired her own son and his friends, and they claimed minors should’ve been paid differently than adults.
“She told me that a minor is supposed to get paid differently than what an adult gets paid. It was never brought to my attention beforehand,” Dixon explained. She believes the company used the rules against her after the viral story.
By July, Burger King fired Dixon, her son, and all four teens. The kicker? This came after the brand leaned into the publicity, giving them new uniforms and participating in recognition events.
Since then, Dixon has started a GoFundMe called “Support Shakayla and Teens After Job Loss” to cover bills and back-to-school costs. The support hasn’t slowed down either—Nick Cannon and entrepreneur John Hope Bryant have been vocal about helping Dixon land on her feet.
Valentine, who just wanted to set an example for his peers, is still trying to see the positive: “I hope that it portrayed a lot of people to do things good and stop the violence.”
