I wanted to do the Disney College Program since I had found out about it on my first trip to Walt Disney World about 10 years ago. A former CP told my dad and me about it on the monorail and from that moment I had been researching it and working my college plans around it. When I found out I was accepted, I was over-the-moon excited about participating. I had finally achieved my dream of working for my favorite company. But when I actually got into it and experienced this program, it was so much more than I ever dreamt. I made life-long friends and memories during my five months in the most magical place on Earth. There is an infinite amount of things I would like to thank the college program for, but here are just a few:

1. The Job

When people hear that you work for Disney, the first thing that comes to their mind is "Oh, so you were Mickey Mouse!" Or they ask, "Oh, which princess did you play?" And while that is my dream times 10, not everyone has that opportunity or even wants to do that. There are cast members who work in the Food Service, Custodial, Merchandise, Housekeeping, Attractions, and so much more. Disney World, despite its title, does not run on magic. I got placed in Attractions, and while I was unsure at first and a little nervous (or a lot, just ask my trainers), it turned out to be the best job I could have asked for. I got placed in my favorite park, Animal Kingdom, and got to work at not one, but three attractions. I learned how to drive a train, handle stressful guest situations, park hundreds of strollers into a small location, count groups of people at an alarmingly fast pace, operate complex ride systems, and turn on and shut down a ride. It offered me experience that you can only get from working at one of the most popular vacations spots in the country.

2. The Coworkers

While the job itself was fun and interesting, it would have been nothing without the other Cast Members. They were a squad, a comfort and a family. Every single one of them had a story and something to share. I will always cherish Miss Ellie dancing on the platform waiting for the next train, Mona bringing in donuts on Sunday mornings, Jonathan letting everyone know about various 105's in the Time Rovers, and so many other members of my Train and Dino families. I would have been lost without Matt and Jonathan as trainers, or Cara being transferred from the Train to Dinoland with me and adventuring through DAK together on our days off. There were busy days where we would all come to the break room and simply sit in peaceful silence together or slow days where it was slow and some joking happened between spurts of guests coming in. The senior Cast Members shared stories from their years working in the parks, and that was experience no trainer could give you. Fellow Cast Members would help me out when I struggled because they had been in the same place (thank you Martin for helping with my first strober, that was scary). We were a family, and families stick together. No one can ever break that bond.

3. The Experience

This can be broken into smaller parts, as well. The College Program gave me experience in so many areas. I got job experience that I will never get anywhere else. I worked in a theme park under stressful atmospheres (Christmas at Disney compares to Christmas no where else) and learned how to handle fast-paced environments and guests who will ask you crazy questions. I have been yelled at for enforcing safety rules, communicated with guests who did not speak English, comforted children who lost their parents, and high-fived Donald Duck when a ride broke down. My communication skills have increased ten fold. I have also gotten life experience from living ten hours away from home on my own. I now know that I can indeed survive from eating Star Wars mac 'n' cheese for lunch and dinner seven days in a row. However my body may not be happy afterwards. I can also make a roll of toilet paper last for a month. I also now know that Walmart trips may take up to four hours if you do not have a car (I do not recommend you try this though, your ice cream will melt in the process). But on a better note, I know I will survive on my own even if I do still wish my parents were there to help me. Living in an apartment in Orlando is not the same as living in a dorm in college. The College Program taught me how to eat healthier, manage my spending, manage my time, and get through various forms of sickness (home and actual sickness).

4. The Friends

There are no words to express my love for my College Program friends. These people have been through so much, have taught me so much, and are so much. Movie nights, firework nights, work nights, food nights, every kind of night there is, we have done it. We spend so much time together it is like we have known each other for years. The good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful. They have seen it all. Going back to visit is one big emotional experience: we say hello and goodbye again like it's the first time. I cannot express my love or gratefulness for them because it goes beyond words. They are a second family. If anyone needed a pick- me-up we would go to Fantasmic. If we needed time away from Disney we would go to Universal. If we just needed to relax we would attempt to watch Star Wars (but we would usually fall asleep). There were fights and drama and all sorts of things that happen in friend groups, but we would always find some way to get through it. Our Christmas Party, New Years Adventure, Reunion, Magic Kingdom Party Days, all of those memories are ones that will stay with me forever. I will look back on them and smile because we are OHANA. Love you all to the moon and back. Thank you for these memories.

5. The Magic

It's Disney. There will be magic and it compares to nothing else. There is the magic of friendship, of family, of adventure, of work even. Cast Members can do all sorts of magic for guests. My fondest memory of making magic was giving a boy a fast pass so he could re-ride Dinosaur on his birthday. He came up after his re-ride and told me it was the best day of his life. Seeing the look of pure happiness on his face and his mother's smile made my day. Seeing Neil Patrick Harris in person was also very magical. Making friends to last a lifetime was magical. Getting to meet Stitch and having him blow me kisses because I had on Stitch ears was also a magical day. Or even having Kristoff talk to me from his parade float, I nearly fell over from the amount of magic in that moment. When you work for the Most Magical Place on Earth, magical moments are going to happen.

6. The Fun

I got to go to the parks all the time. I got to spend every moment I could with my friends. I got to make magic for random people. I got to see fireworks every night. There was so much fun to be had all the time. I had so much fun my mind almost explodes just from thinking about it all. My family came down to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with me and we had a blast. What more could I want? The College Program turned out to be more fun than I imagined and even better than the billions of dreams I had about it. But it is what you make of it. I wanted to get the most out of my experience. I broke out of my shell and made friends who would drag me out of bed to go spend time in the parks. I would get off work and go meet characters (I think I met Tarzan on average twice a week during my program). I visited friends while they were working. We rode rides multiple times in a row (surprisingly, people actually leave when it starts to rain and Haunted Mansion does not have a line then). There was so much fun to be had!

7. The Memories

I made memories to last a lifetime. There is no better thing I could possibly ask for.

Thank you, Disney College Program, for being one of the best experiences I have ever had. Thank you for giving me some of the happiest memories of my life. Thank you for helping me find myself. Thank you for giving me joy and happiness and life. You came at a time when I needed to refresh myself and figure out what I wanted. You are something I wanted to do and you let me do it. Thank you.