Lindsey lives the Disney dream
Milton Alumni Lindsey Engleman, a 2016 graduate, is currently a senior at Penn State University’s main campus. She said she recently finished an internship with The Disney College Program.
“Anyone enrolled in college can apply to the program. I’d recommend it for Disney lovers, people who love working with kids, and those who believe they can create magic for others!” said Lindsey.
During the internship, Lindsey said she worked in the “merchandise” role, generally working at the gift shops in all four parks. She said Epcot was her favorite of the four parks to work in. She added she got to hand out treats during Halloween and Christmas.
According to the program’s website https://jobs.disneycareers.com/disney-college-program, “The Disney College Program is an opportunity for college students to spend five to seven months working at a Disney park. During the program the students stay in company-sponsored housing with other students from all over the world that are participating in the program.”
Lindsey said the application process consisted of the application itself, a web-based interview, which is a bunch of questions about yourself, and a phone interview. She added that applicants also must submit to a routine background check.
“Disney is all about creating and preserving magic, so staying in character was very important while on the job,” said Lindsey. Staying in character means talking in themed language, being upbeat and being happy to create magic for the kids, she explained.
“Expenses were not paid,” said Lindsey. “They have company housing, but we paid rent weekly from our paychecks. I also paid for everyday things like groceries and gas. I got paid once a week though, so it was great.”
“I got free admission to the theme parks, so I loved exploring,” Lindsey said. “I also loved when I could make magical moments for kids. For example, getting to sprinkle pixie dust on little princesses and seeing them smile brought me so much joy.”
Lindsey said there were no downsides to The Disney College Internship. “It was magical and so rewarding to work for the company I have admired my whole life. The hours could be long or late at night, but working for Disney never felt like a bad thing,” she added.
Back at Penn State, Lindsey said she is a Health Policy and Administration major with a minor in Bioethics and Medical Humanities. She said she plans to work in a children’s hospital as an administrator. She added that she plans to embark on a full-year internship after graduation with the Four Diamonds Foundation, which is the beneficiary of Penn State THON. THON is an annual fundraiser held every year that helps raise money for fighting childhood cancer, Lindsey added.
After that, Lindsey said she hopes to improve the lives of children. “The Disney internship helped me create a path for my future. Before going to Florida, I was not sure what part of healthcare I wanted to go into after graduation. Since coming back, I know for sure that I want to work in a children’s hospital. Hopefully, that hospital will be Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital,” she added.
Lindsey said she had some advice for current high school students: “Take every opportunity that is handed to you. Sure, work can be boring sometimes. But if you seek out opportunities, they will make your life so much more meaningful. I cannot tell you how many times I went to parks, worked in different locations or spent nights laughing with my friends. I even swam with dolphins. If you are doing a program like this, you should do anything and everything you can. Live your life to the fullest.”
If anyone is interested in the Disney program, they should visit the website http://jobs.disneycareers.com/disney-college-program and/or talk to people that have previously been in the program, Lindsey said.
