Supercalifragilistic studies
Disney College Program lets students learn at the happiest place on earth
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STUDY BREAK — Students in the DCP can visit the Disney parks for free.
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Liberty University has teamed up with Disney to bring its students exclusive work opportunities and internships at the “happiest place on Earth.”
On Jan. 26, an information session hosted by the Liberty University Career Center shared all the details about what the Disney College Program (DCP) has to offer specifically for Liberty students.
Liberty not only offers deferral of student loans for the semester the student is at Disney World, but also directly mentions its applicants’ names as a Liberty student to Disney, providing more possibilities than other applicants.
Director of the Career Center Richard Glass, who co-hosted the information session with Employer Relations Coordinator Shannon Gaudin, provided a glimpse at the program’s success.
“Spring last year, we really started to flow,” Glass said.
“Before, it was about half a dozen students who applied. Now about 40-50 on average, and last semester 75 applied. Fourteen are there this spring, and 21 this past fall. LU is on the radar in Disney’s eyes because many students are applying and many are being accepted.”
After applying for the DCP and completing both an online questionnaire and phone interview, about 90 percent of accepted students are sent to Disney World in Orlando.
The rest find work in Disney Land, California.
The process requires a full semester of commitment, and students with little to no experience can be accepted, providing excellent networking
opportunities.
Participants of the DCP are provided special housing with rent taken out of the student’s paycheck that includes bus transportation to and from specific sections of the park.
Students will also gain access to world-renowned Disney University courses, some of which were taken by Disney executives.
This will include attendance of the College Program Alumni Speaker Series, in which students can hear from Disney executives and participate in a meet and greet.
In response to a questioning business major, Gaudin emphasized the DCP’s applicability to all career fields.
“When a person does the DCP, they get the full picture of Disney because they are not only doing a job, but they get why Disney does what they do,” Gaudin said.
Some great benefits of the program include free admission to all parks during the participant’s stay, fully-furnished housing and weekly pay.
Also included is an Exploration Series of six classes on Disney operations, which allows a student to fully experience all 47 square miles of Walt
Disney World.
Disney also offers a paid professional internship program, in which prior DCP experience is preferred, but not necessary.
400 are accepted per year for the internship, and opportunities span the globe.
“If I apply for the internship, I would like to find ways to help the park run more efficiently,” Liberty student Jessica Houseknecht said.
“As an industrial engineer, I would want to gain experience in optimization techniques from park experience.”
At the conclusion of the information session, Glass further elaborated on Liberty’s vision for its students and DCP.
“What I would love to see is for more Liberty talent to get down there and take that training into whatever career field they go into,” Glass said.
“Not everyone will stay with Disney who stays with this program, and they can go into any market. If you think about it, if they are following God’s leads, and they go down there and learn good customer service, they will take that same experience and make any company they go with successful.”
Applications for the fall term of both DCP and the Professional Internship are now available online at www.cp.disneycareers.com