After the whole stint of moving to New York to attend Wagner College (which did not go well), I pretty much swore off ever leaving Arizona again. I did not handle being away from my family and friends well at all. Basically, I was the most indecisive person when it came to choosing where I wanted to go to college. I wanted to do so many things in the two year period before I graduated. Visual design at FIDM, marketing at FIT, musical theatre at AMDA, law, going to USC, going to Chapman… And then there was Wagner. I got a post card in the mail of a beautiful, lush green campus that just happened to have a really good theatre department. So, I went and auditioned for musical theatre and music. I ended up getting an amazing scholarship for the music program so decided I pretty much had to go. Not that many people get the opportunity to get into a college on a scholarship, and that’s when I knew that my application needed to be the best it could possibly be because I felt like I couldn’t waste this opportunity. And that’s when my friend told me about the Common Scholarship App that a lot of applicants use when they want a helping hand with their application process and it sounded perfect. It helped my friend so it must work. And so that’s when I set to work on my scholarship. Not that I really had another choice because the only other school I actually applied to was AMDA. So long story short, I ended up going there and it just wasn’t for me. I was not a fan of the hills or the number of people or the fact that I was a bajillion miles away from my family, so I kind of had a major breakdown and moved back to Arizona before the semester ended.

From there on, I was pretty dedicated to loving Arizona. I think going to New York did give me a deeper appreciation for Arizona, at least, but it unfortunately also made me fear ever leaving again. However, my experience of moving away and the experiences I’ve had here since have really set my mind straight on my gut feelings. I did silly things for silly reasons then, but at least I grew from them. Now, I feel like I’ve got the tools to make justifiable and strong decisions that will only make me grow. I have total faith in my choices.

Now that you have a sort of back story, let’s move onto the Disney College Program. In case you didn’t know this by now, I’m a major Disney nerd. Like, major. I’ve started about 10 blogs and even a podcast (that was funny) about it. I grew up in Oceanside, less than an hour away from the parks and was literally obsessed with everything under the Disney umbrella. I learned through Disney, played with Disney toys, loved Disney movies, loved Disney music, knew cast members… I was engulfed in the magic. They figured I’d grow out of it once I grew up a little, but it only got worse!

1. I pride myself on being able to spell supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

2. I listen to theme park magic in the car and walking to class. (I’m listening to Magical right now.)

3. I planned my family’s entire trip to Walt Disney World in 7th grade complete with a planning binder, ADRs, a plan of attack, surprises for my parents each day and window and door decorations. I went all out.

4. I have over 1,800 posts on Disboards. (Member since 2007, holla!)

5. I’m a D23 Charter Member and have attended all three D23 Expos.

6. I have a dog named Sebastian (The Little Mermaid), a dog named Bambi (Bambi) and a cat named Zira (The Lion King 2)

7. I own more than 15 pairs of Mickey ears.

8. I wear at least one Disney accessory a day.

9. I’ve been to Disneyland over 100 times.

10. I got to sing as Giselle in our High School recording at Disneyland when we sang “Happy Working Song” and it was pretty much the best moment of my life, ever.

So, yeah. I’m obsessed. When I heard about the Disney College Program in junior high, I knew it was something I absolutely needed to do when I went to college. In high school, it was still in the back of my mind. When college finally hit, it was kind of on the tip of my tongue, but I didn’t think it was impossible.

You see, after the whole Wagner fiasco and a little bit of deep thinking in community college, I ended up at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications. I’m studying journalism to go into public relations and I love it at Cronkite. It’s one of the most enriching experiences I’ve ever had. I’ve already learned so much that I feel is actually applicable to life and what I want to do; it’s not just applicable towards getting a piece of paper. The only thing about Cronkite is that it’s incredibly taxing; almost like a profession right off the bat. They really treat you like journalists from the start so that you’re used to being in that environment. They’re strict on absences, deadline and participation.

Being myself, of course the stress of J school was just not enough. I also currently work at Torrid, Build-A-Bear Workshop and as a marketing assistant at a local firm, red balloon inc. Oh! And I’m also a Dickens Caroler with a local Dickens Caroling company. Yes, please give me more to do.

… But also being myself, I need adventure and to follow my gut. I was sitting at Rigatony’s eating dinner with my dad one night and randomly blurted out something about wanting to do the College Program. I have no idea where it came from, but I started blabbering about it and how great it would be for me. I really thought about it and said, “Wow, it would be, wouldn’t it?” You see, the Disney College Program would go far past just working in the park for me. I really want to do a Disney Professional Internship somewhere down the line. To do that, I feel like you really need to have done the DCP. Most of the positions say doing it is “preferred,” but I feel like that is what really gives you the boost right into their hand. So, even if I’m not doing something as an internship directly related to my major, I feel like this is an important step I need to take.
I think that night fate stepped in, I’m just hoping it sees me through.

That same night I talked to my dad, I went to apply for the program. It turned out, applications had just opened that day! I considered it fate and applied for the Disney College Program in Disneyland. Again, bringing up the whole distance thing, I figured California was a good medium; Florida may have been a little too far for me. Yes, California is more competitive, but it’s also my strong suit. So, I’m in the application process right now for 2015 Spring Advantage DCP in Disneyland. Eek! It’s still so thrilling to say that.

I wanted to wait a little while to write about my experience, as I had no idea where I was going with it or if I’d even make it to the web based interview. Well, I did. I got my WBI the day after I applied and passed it the same day. I was absolutely thrilled! I went on to schedule my personal interview (a phone interview) for the upcoming Monday and spent some time preparing answers to potential questions. I absorbed myself in Disney culture and finding out who I was the whole time leading up to the interview. I wanted to be sure of myself and my role in Disney’s culture to be sure I deserved a place there and to be able to show them I did. I was surprisingly not so nervous for my interview, but more excited. I loved sharing my passion and past history with my interviewer and just really enjoyed talking with her in general.

Well, it’s two weeks later and I am still in progress, which I’ve been told is good, so pixie dust and fingers crossed for that! A small wave of Disney World applicants was accepted into the program on Friday and I was so excited to see them all be so happy about it! There was so much love between everyone. I know that sounds so corny, but I believe everyone was genuinely excited for them, despite wishing it was themselves getting the acceptance letter.

So, I’m here hinging on faith, trust and pixie dust that I can be part of this amazing, magical experience. It truly would mean the world to me to be a part of the Walt Disney Company. I’d love it if you’d come along on my journey with me. If I am accepted, I’m planning on blogging/vlogging about it here on Sincerely, Dani Rose. May have to tweak the site to be a little more Disney-y, but I certainly have no problem with that! I know it’s premature to be talking about all this, but I really just wanted to share my feelings with you all!

Anyways, I hope you are all having a fantastic week so far and that your days are full of pixie dust, no matter where the day may take you. 🙂