Graduate Profile: Mitch Merida

For most, managing nearly a dozen business locations and hundreds of employees would be the pinnacle of a career. For Mitchel Merida, it was the realization that he needed a seat at a different table. After a successful decades-long climb through the corporate ranks of McDonald’s, he began an ambitious journey to bridge the gap between business ownership and legal advocacy. Now, as a husband, father, and entrepreneur, he stands on the cusp of graduation, proving that it is never too late to redefine your professional legacy.

The Corporate Foundation
Mitch’s story is one of grit and upward mobility. Starting as a frontline worker at McDonald’s, he climbed the corporate ladder before transitioning into ownership. Today, he and his wife operate a significant portfolio of restaurants across Long Island. However, the COVID-19 pandemic served as a profound turning point. Watching the rapid influx of regulations and decisions being made without his input, Mitch realized that to truly protect his business and his community, he needed to understand the law from the inside out.

The Undergraduate Sprint
The path to law school wasn't immediate. Despite his extensive executive experience managing millions of dollars, Mitch first had to earn the undergraduate degree he had bypassed years earlier. At 41, he enrolled in a local college with a singular focus: speed and excellence. By maximizing credits each semester and enrolling in every available summer session, he balanced the demands of fatherhood and a thriving business to earn his degree and clear the final hurdle to law school admission.

A Presence of Professionalism
In the halls of Touro Law, Mitch became a fixture of consistency and positivity. Known for attending every class in a full suit, he treated his legal education with the same executive rigor he applied to his restaurants. This "professional-first" mindset helped him build a strong community of friends and supporters. Even while maintaining his active role in his business and raising two children with his wife, Mitch earned a reputation for being remarkably smart, kind, and—perhaps most notably—always wearing a smile.

The Power of Perspective
Mitch’s journey was never about leaving his past behind; it was about integrating it. His hands-on experience with labor, real estate, and corporate compliance gave him a unique lens through which to view his studies. He didn't just learn legal theory; he applied it in real
time to the "office" he had spent twenty years building.

The Road Ahead: Business, Practice, or Both?
As graduation approaches and bar prep looms, the law school community is watching Mitch’s next move with anticipation. With a job offer already on the table from a law firm, Mitch faces a high-stakes choice: step away from a successful business to practice law full-time, or continue to manage both worlds. If his track record of balancing a 12-location enterprise with a full-time law degree is any indication, Mitch Merida is more than capable of handling whatever he chooses next.

Legacy & Advice
Mitch hopes his journey serves as a reminder that "experience" is a powerful teacher, but it is never a substitute for the pursuit of new knowledge. His message to his peers is simple: age and background are not barriers; they are assets. By being intentional, respectful, and relentlessly ambitious, you can create a seat at the table you once only watched from afar.