How I've Grown as a Person

Disney has taught me multiple things:

Making friends who are from all over the world will make you realize that no matter how different your cultures and backgrounds are, we really are all equal and very much alike on the inside.

You will find out that you are much more brave and fearless than you thought you were. You'll look back at the old you and notice how many things you've done here on your own and how proud youa re of those things. The old you who used to be someone so sheltered and afraid of many things is now someone who is strong, has big dreams, goals, and knows more of what she want from her life. But no matter how strong you think you are, there will be a couple day where you miss the scenery of home

You will have to dig deep inside to find that last ounce of patience to be able to help foreign people count their money, or give them directions solely by hand signals.

You will realize that no matter how annoying your job is, it really is the people around you that make it worthwhile. If you don't like your co-workers, but like the job, you won't like it much for long. If you don't like your job, but like you co-workers, time will pass much faster and it will be a lot more fun

You will find out how un-American and how unfair interns are treated. College interns at Disney don't get paid time and a half for working holidays. And we WILL work EVERY holiday during our program. We work like full-time employees, but we are not eligible for health benefits. We are the very bottom of the food chain. College interns are below full-time, part-time, and seasonal works. We are paid less than any of those, typically doing more work than they do.

You will notice how on stage at Disney World all the workers seem so happy and cheery because they're working at the Happiest Place on Earth, but in the utilidors everyone is so crabby, rude, and everyone looks like a zombie because of the hours they are workings. But we all return day after day to create the magic for that one little kid whose smile you get to see light up their face.

Finding and building a support network when your 1,000 miles from home is key

Cast members protect the magic and hold it close to our hearts. Character integrity is something we all pride ourselves on. A daily question that I get is, "How many Mickey's are there?" There is one. One Mickey. One Donald. One Goofy. Cast members can not be Mickey Mouse, they can only be "friends" with Mickey. Parents constantly are trying to get cast members to break and say that there is more than one. We never will. We preserve the magic that kids cherish and want to experience.

Storytelling is an art.

The difference is in the detail.