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For Kayla Newman, a May 2024 graduate from Georgian Court, the magic didn’t stop at Commencement—it was just beginning. In August, Kayla joined the Disney College Program, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore her career path while gaining first-hand, full-time work experience with Disney—one of the most iconic American companies with nearly a century of storytelling and innovation.
Kayla, who majored in Interdisciplinary Studies and minored in Social Work, credits her time at Georgian Court with helping her develop the skills and confidence needed to succeed in the program. From balancing academics with athletics to receiving guidance from professors and mentors, her experience at GCU set a strong foundation for her next chapter.
Since joining the program, Kayla’s days have been filled with memorable moments and learning opportunities. She works in Disney World’s Toy Story Land in Hollywood Studios and interacts with guests while operating the Toy Story Mania ride. Although her program was initially set to end in February, Disney offered her the exciting opportunity to extend her stay until May 2025.
Life in the Disney College Program
The Disney College Program offers unique Disney experiences, including magical events, character sightings, and the chance to make friends with people from all over the country and world. Disney supplies housing and buses for transportation and schedules enough hours to cover rent and living. The community complexes in Flamingo Crossings Village, owned and managed by American Campus Communities, have high-end living spaces, educational facilities, pools, a fitness center, and community common areas. Their ideal location makes for easy access to local stores and restaurants.
In the program, college students and recent graduates can work at Disney theme parks and resorts, participate in college coursework, and interact with and learn from Disney professionals in operational and behind-the-scenes roles. Participants work at Disney parks and resorts in various capacities, gaining valuable industry knowledge and making professional connections. The highly competitive program presents a unique blend of educational and work experiences that foster personal and career growth.
Magical Moments
Kayla aspires to pursue a career in teaching and believes the knowledge and skills she acquires will benefit her as a future educator in the specific area she decides. Her participation in the program has further fueled her passion for teaching and for positively affecting people’s lives.
One of her favorite parts of her role in Disney attractions is positively impacting guests’ experiences through magical moments. Her first ever magical moment was with a family while working at “The Wave” of Toy Story Mania, a wheelchair accessibility area. “The mom mentioned that it was her little boy’s first ever ride, so I re-rode them, and they were just so happy,” Kayla stated. “Doing the smallest things…makes the job so worth it.”
A Strong Foundation from Georgian Court
As a student and soccer player at the Division Two level, Kayla expressed how Georgian Court prepared her for the program in many ways, including living on campus and receiving support from professors, athletic department directors, and coaches in her next steps after graduation. Athletics, particularly, helped Kayla acquire skills in areas such as time management and scheduling and offered her a strong support system that remains in her life today.
“They really set me up for success here with being able to have a 40-hour work week, a social life, live 1000 miles from my family and stay connected with them. So, in many different ways, they have supported me, despite not being a student there still.”
After receiving the email of her acceptance into the program, Kayla shared the happy news with the athletic department. She first told Katharine Rivera, Assistant Director of Athletics, and she helped Kayla print her acceptance letter so she could surprise her family. She also told her coach, James Moore, Head Women’s Soccer Coach and Assistant Director of Athletics, Dan Sempkowski, Director of Athletics, and more from the Georgian Court Community. “It was exciting to tell athletics because they were my second family…I am so close with all of them,” Kayla said.
Since graduation, Kayla has stayed in touch with the Georgian Court community, including her soccer team members and friends. Now also a member of the Disney community, Kayla enjoys spending time with her friends, roommates, and coworkers from the program and visiting the parks for free outside of work.
Kayla explained what else she loves about the program, saying, “…the community is so awesome. You walk around, and everyone just says hi. You go to the pool, and you have three new best friends…watching the joy on people’s faces, coming into the park, even when I go as a guest.” Kayla encourages anyone considering the Disney College Program to apply and confidently take that first step. “Just the overall experience is super rewarding. It’s hard work…but it’s awesome.”
