Fatima Poggi, a crew member at the McDonald’s restaurant in Dexter, was chosen as one of 12 global finalists in the company’s "Voices of McDonald’s III" competition.

The finalists were chosen based on their outstanding singing abilities, McDonald’s announced in a press release. In November, McDonald's announced that of the 10,451 entries from employees around the world, only five of the semi-finalists were from the United States and 2 of those, Poggi and Eddie Davenport, a Stockbridge and Leslie McDonald’s employee, were from Michigan.

In the semi-finals, competitors uploaded their songs onto the "Voices of McDonald’s III" Web site where the public could play the entries and vote for their favorites.

Now, Poggi and the other finalists are headed to the 2010 McDonald’s Worldwide Convention in Orlando, Florida, where they will work with world-renowned vocal coaches, Grammy-Award winning producers and recording executives. They’ll compete to take the spotlight onstage, backed by a full orchestra in front of 15,000 cheering fans, with the hope of winning the $25,000 Grand Prize.

Poggi, a senior at Pinckey High School, has been a crew person at the Dexter McDonald’s for 1 1/2 years.

“Fatima is truly an outstanding employee,” said Scott Karns, McDonald’s owner-operator. “She is very friendly and hard-working. We are proud to have her as an employee at our organization and to know she is one of the 12 global finalists of ‘Voice of McDonald’s.’”

Originally from Peru. Poggi has been in U.S. with her mom since she was 14. Poggi has spent many years training in voice, dance and drama working towards her dream of breaking into the entertainment industry.

She said would like to establish a career in the industry with a focus on Latino music. Poggi traveled back to Peru this past summer where she performed at a series of concerts. If Poggi wins “Voice of McDonald’s,” she will use the $25,000 grand prize for college.