(August 28, 2025) For most high schoolers, a summer job is the first taste of responsibility, independence, and the occasional workplace blunder. For Ananya Singla, a high school senior at Detroit Country Day School from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, those first months at McDonald’s became more than just a learning experience. They became the seed for her first book, a short memoir that blends humour, life lessons, and cultural reflection into a guide for teens stepping into the workplace.
According to Ananya, her debut book is a self-help guide designed specifically for teenagers, packed with stories of spills, slip-ups, and surprising growth. “I had wished for a crash course on all the little life skills a first job demands, so I wrote my book to be that guide,” she explains in an interview with Global Indian, highlighting how her book fills the gap in a genre often overlooked.
From scribbles to stories
Ananya never saw herself as a writer, until her journal told her otherwise. “I remember sitting on my couch, looking at my journal and the many scribbled, illegible accounts it contained,” she recalls. “As I flipped through the pages, one thing stood out, that within the scribbles were hidden the stories I had written about my first job at McDonald’s.
Those raw stories both funny and painful, sparked something in her. She revisited the memory of accidentally saying, “Bye Mom, love you” to a customer and the countless moments of awkwardness that seemed unbearable at the time but hilarious in hindsight.
“Writing the book felt like a second chance, an opportunity to relive those moments, learn from them again, and transform them into something meaningful to share with others,” Ananya says. “My hope is that readers recognize the thought, care, and countless hours I poured into bringing this book to life,” she explains, referring to her 120-page debut published through the services of FriesenPress.
The strawberry smoothie catastrophe
If there’s one story from her McDonald’s shifts that defines her book’s spirit, it’s the smoothie incident.
“I once drenched the entire kitchen, and my manager in a strawberry banana smoothie,” she chuckles, recalling the chaos. “As I tried to pour the smoothie in a plastic cup, the water cleaner that sprays water to clean the blender activated and began to spray me and the entire kitchen. As I tried to stop the spray, I ended up spilling the smoothie and flinging the smoothie bits around, including on my manager’s uniform. I was absolutely horrified.”
For a teen author writing for her peers, these moments of mortifying mishap are exactly the point she intends to remind others that mistakes are part of learning.
Heritage, stories, and the Panchatantra
Though her memoir is about McDonald’s shifts in suburban Michigan, Ananya acknowledges the role her Indian upbringing played in shaping her voice.
“My book doesn’t directly discuss being Indian, but my heritage inevitably shapes who I am,” she reflects. “Growing up in an Indian household, I was taught values like perseverance, resilience, and humility, and those qualities guided me while working at McDonald’s and later while writing about the experience.”
Her love of storytelling, she adds, was born at home. “I think my knack for storytelling comes from hours of listening to my mom as she read from the Panchatantra and other Indian tales. Many of those stories feature animals who learn important lessons through their mistakes. In a way, my book follows a similar pattern, only that I’m the human making funny, embarrassing mistakes and learning from them along the way.”
The message of growth mindset
If Ananya’s memoir has one big lesson, it’s not about customer service, fiscal responsibility, or even the perils of smoothie machines. It’s about mindset.
“I hope teenagers take away the importance of a growth mindset, the willingness to challenge themselves, dig deeper, and truly understand both themselves and others,” she says. “Constantly striving to improve not only leads to success, but also keeps our minds curious.”
Her own journey is proof. “I never imagined I’d turn my McDonald’s experience into a book, but by pushing myself to take on something I’d never attempted before, I discovered how much growth can come from unexpected places.”
Future Plans: College, medicine, and more writing
Ananya’s first book is just the beginning. With college around the corner, she is excited to keep writing, although the subject of her next book is still not clear to her.
“I hope to have many fun stories to tell,” she says. “I am not sure exactly what I want to write about, but I am sure that I am not done with writing.”
But writing is only one part of her future. “I want to be a physician. Ever since I was little, seeing my parents dedicate their lives to healing others, I have known that I want to follow in their footsteps,” she mentions.
Family ties and Indian roots
Born in Detroit, Ananya feels deeply connected to her roots in India. Her father’s family hails from Haryana but he grew up in New Delhi, while her mother’s side is from Lucknow. Frequent visits to India have made it “a second home.”
Her family, she notes, is both her anchor and her comic relief. “My dad is the definition of a classic Indian dad. If he’s not at home listening to a podcast on the couch, he’s almost certainly at the golf range. He’s also famous in our family WhatsApp chat for sending motivational quotes,” she smiles.
Her mother is her confidante. “My mom is one of my best friends. We do everything together, from watching our favourite shows and shopping to long walks and, of course, the occasional mother-daughter argument.”
And then there’s her brother. “A few years ago, he was just my annoying older brother, but now we’re inseparable. We laugh at TikToks, go to the gym together, and even explore new restaurants side by side.”
Why Ananya’s book should matter to teens
While there’s no shortage of self-help books about workplace success, most are written with adults in mind. That’s why Ananya’s memoir stands out. It speaks to teens directly, in their language, with their anxieties and aspirations in mind.
Packed with laugh-out-loud stories, sharp insights, and practical guidance, her book is equal parts humour and handbook. Whether it’s learning to handle difficult customers, developing money management skills, or simply surviving the awkwardness of a first job, Ananya proves that even a McDonald’s shift can teach lifelong lessons.
As she puts it, “Writing this book felt like a second chance.” For her target audience, it may feel like a first chance to enter the workplace with confidence, curiosity, and the comfort of knowing that they are not alone.
ALSO READ: Sanjana Thakur: Winner of 2024 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for her story ‘Aishwarya Rai’