W E E K E N D E D I T I O N | M AY 3 - 6 , 2 0 18 | T W I C E W E E K LY I N P R I N T | O U D A I LY. C O M
A Ferris wheel at Disneyland Resort.
PROVIDED BY JOSHUA MORAN
OU DAILY PROVIDED BY GRACIE ROE
English education junior Gracie Roe holds ice cream at the Walt Disney World Resort.
PROVIDED BY JOSHUA MORAN
Theater design junior Joshua Moran (right) with his parents at the Walt Disney World Resort.
DREAMS COME TRUE
Two OU students will take on internships in Orlando theme park, gain experience through Disney College Program HEATH KUYKENDALL • @HEATHKUYKENDAL1
W
ith finals approaching and stress mounting, students might be expected to look a little down in the dumps. But for students like Joshua Moran and Gracie Roe, the end of the year brings with it the promise of adventure: they’re headed to Florida as new members of the Disney College Program. The Disney College Program is held at both Walt Disney World Resort and at Disneyland, and it gives students the chance to work at a summer or semester-long internship as a member of the Disney staff. Pa r t i c i p a n t s s p e n d t h e i r weekdays working as servers at concession stands, greeters at park entrances or assistants on rides and attractions. Weekends are spent exploring and enjoying the park, which is free to student-interns. However, one of the most beneficial parts of the program starts after work ends. Nig ht s a re o f t e n s p e nt i n classrooms, learning skills such as marketing and engineering. Many of these classes count as college credit and are transferable. All internships are also paid. Through the Disney College P ro g ra m, O U s t u d e n t s l i k e Moran and Roe are able to explore new avenues of work at one of America’s most prominent companies. Moran, a theater design junior, said he first heard about the Disney College Program when he was 12 and has wanted to work with the company ever since. Moran said he believes the program will bring him one step closer to accomplishing this goal.
“I would like to be a production designer or producer for Walt Disney Imagineering,” Moran said. “They’re in charge of ever ything you see in the parks, resorts and shops. What I want to do is transport people to places and stories I got to experience as a kid. I think going to Disney and experiencing those things is a rite in your childhood.” Because of his aspirations to design and build theme park attractions, Moran recently transferred from architecture to theater design. He said he hopes learning about set construction will prepare him to work as an Imagineer. He will be gone from Aug. 20 to Jan. 3, but he plans to return to OU once his stint in the program is finished. Once he completes his internship, Moran plans to spend his time working in the scene shop in OU’s Fine Arts Center. “I think with my background in architecture, and now, going to Disney, getting an inside view on how things there work — especially since that’s what I want to do — and now having my toes in the water here in the drama department,” Moran said, “I think it’s going to propel me into being able to tell the stories I want to tell, to take people where I want to take them.” Moran will spend the 2018 fall semester in Florida at Walt Disney World Resort, where he plans to take courses with current Imagineers to learn more about how rides at the park are constructed. U n l i k e f i r s t- t i m e a t t e n d ees like Moran, alumni of the Disney College Program are
offered the chance to work at the parks during the summer as tour guides and receptionists. Gracie Roe, an English education junior, is one such alumna who will return for a second internship.
“You get handson experience for whatever you’re looking for. Disney is a well-known name, and the great thing about their opportunities is that they have so many different areas in which they are hiring students, whether it be on the business side or on the artistic side.” ROBIN HUSTON, DIRECTOR OF OU CAREER SERVICES
Roe said she has been a Disney fan since she was little and has had aspirations o f w o rk i n g t h e re f o r y e a r s. After taking part in the Disney College Program last semester, Roe decided she wanted to eventually work for Disney full time as either a recruiter for the Disney College Program or as a VIP tour guide. With that in mind, she will return to the park this summer to further learn about the responsibilities of these roles and gain training in human relations. Like Moran, Roe sees this internship as a way to get her foot in the door. Roe said even though she is
majoring in education, putting the Disney name on her resume will be a major selling point as she works toward a permanent position at the park. Roe said the internship demands hard work, dedication and a love for other people that makes most employers excited to hire on former participants. Unlike a lot of college juniors, Roe is very certain of where she wants to go in the future. “I want to be either in Orlando, recruiting people for our program, or in the Magic Kingdom, giving tours to guests every single day,” Roe said. “I really want to tell people about the history of the parks and help them get to the best food or attractions as I can. I want to make magic for new people every single day.” Moran and Roe are unique among the OU community as only two of the current students to be headed for Disney internships. Robin Huston, director of OU Career Services, hopes to change that. Over the past several years, Huston has begun to get in contact with Disney recruiters to alert them to the number of qualified students at OU just waiting for an internship. She wants to rebuild OU’s relationship with the company due to how impactful the Disney College Program can be on a student’s life. “ You get hands-on experience for whatever you’re looking for,” Huston said. “Disney is a well-known name, and the great thing about their opportunities is that they have so many different areas in which they are hiring students, whether it be on
the business side or on the artistic side.” Huston said so long as someone has the resources and the dedication to take on an internship like those at Disney, any student with the means to apply should do so. OU Career Services strives to help students build portfolios and skills that will aid them in finding opportunities like those at Disney. “Whether they find something through our job board or through an on-campus interview, we get them as prepared as they can be,” Huston said. “I think the value of using our services for any student, no matter their major, is in the preparation for the next step they’re going to take.” Hu s t o n h o p e s O U Ca re e r Services will see a growth in Disney internships over the next few years as more students begin using the office. As he prepares to travel to Florida next semester, Moran is looking forward to building new friendships and learning all he can about Disney. “What I want to get out of this is connections,” Moran said. “That way I can go back and build relationships in my specialized role. I’m going to be living in a six-person apartment, and I already have five new best friends. I want this experience to be long term. I think this is a great first step in my story with Disney.” Heath Kuykendall
kuykendallheath@ou.edu