My childhood was full of Disney. When I was not going to the parks, I was watching Disney movies at home. I grew up with some of the most well known characters - Mickey Mouse, Woody, Buzz and Cinderella - like I was a part of their stories. Like many children, I grew up admiring Disney characters and wanting to experience the magic and happy endings that Disney fairytales included. Finally, I began to realize becoming a Disney character and living a life of magic is not possible, but I have all the memories of growing up with some of my most beloved characters and learning from their experiences that influenced my own life and each step that led me to where I am today. Disney movies are filled with characters that are meant to inspire children from a young age and even into college. Here are my top five life lessons I learned by growing up with Disney and how characters shaped me to be the person I am today as I undergo my freshman year of college.

1. “You’ve got a friend in me.” – 'Toy Story'

"Toy Story" has taught me to be a caring and loyal friend. Woody and Buzz have had their ups and downs, but if it were not for Andy bringing them together they would have never become such dear friends. They were always there for each other even when Andy went off to college. Going off to college meant starting a new chapter in my life and leaving my past behind or so I thought. I knew going to college my friends would leave and meet new friends and our friendships might not last. Luckily for me this was not the case. I can still count on each of my friends, old and new, no matter how great the distance is between us.

2. “I’m almost there, I’m almost there / People down here think I’m crazy, but I don’t care.” – Tiana, 'The Princess and The Frog'

Tiana from "The Princess and The Frog" has taught me to chase my dreams and let nothing stand in the way. Tiana wanted to own her restaurant and she did not let anything get in her way. Yeah, she faced some obstacles like getting turned into a frog, but she overcame that in order to pursue her dream. When I tell people I am majoring in education and I want to pursue a career in teaching, they look at me like I am crazy and then ask, “Why don’t you pursue a degree in medicine?” I respond, “I was born to teach! It is in my blood and it is what I am passionate about doing.” Being a teacher has always been a dream of mine and I push all the negative comments about teaching aside in order to pursue my dream of impacting the lives of children through education.

3. “Ah yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.” – Rafiki, 'The Lion King'

Rafiki taught me that learning from my past can improve myself for the future. No matter what happens in the past if we do not overcome it we cannot improve ourselves for the future and learn from our mistakes. I have already learned in my freshman year of college how to overcome mistakes and learn from them. You take your first test in college and did not do as well as you thought you would. You think it is the end of the world and there is no way you can get your grades back on track. The world seems to be resting on your shoulder and you don’t think you can actually do this whole college thing. I know I felt it after getting a "C" on my first test. From this experience, I learned one grade is not the end of the world. I just knew I had to do better on the next one. Freshman year has taught me not to give up in a class or life in general, but to look at the positives and keep on going.

4. “Ohana means family and family means no one gets left behind.” – Stich, 'Lilo and Stitch'

Family has so many different meanings than just who one is related to. Family for me means love with relatives, friends, and those pets you cannot live without. Coming to college I learned a new meaning for the word family. I joined a sorority and knew immediately these girls were my family. Having a group of people that you can count on and mean so much to you is truly special. Family has always been very important to me. Growing up we went on vacations and camping trips every year as an entire family. Many of these trips included camping at Disney World and going to the parks as a family. Having these trips impacted my life greatly and made me the person I am today.

5. “If you keep on believing, the dream you wish will come true.”- 'Cinderella'

If you believe in yourself, then whatever you set your mind to you can achieve it. "Cinderella" was my childhood icon and I look up to her now even in college. Cinderella sets the standard for coming from being mistreated and having a horrible life to being humble for everything she received in life. I look at her story whenever I am in a slump in my day-to-day college life. If you just keep on believing that you can do it, you will!

Disney characters teach lessons that are relatable and allows any person, no matter their age, to be inspired by their messages. As a freshman in college, I found myself looking for inspiration to keep working or I find myself searching for answers to different situations with friends. Disney inspires children and even college students to pursue their dreams and keep going no matter what life curveballs life can throw.