00:00But that's not all. We will also tell you how you can apply to be a part of the next class of Disney Dreamers Academy.
00:07Essence has collaborated over the years with this incredibly inspiring initiative, and we're here to tell you more.
00:12The Vice President of Disney Signature Experiences and the Executive Champion of the Disney Dreamers Academy, Tracy Powell.
00:21Welcome, Essence family and girls united.
00:25I have the honor of leading off with the latest on the Disney Dreamers Academy.
00:32As the Executive Champion, I'm delighted to share that as in years past, 100 Disney Dreamers will come together at Walt Disney World Resort.
00:42But there will be many new highlights.
00:45Foremost, the Class of 22 will arrive at an exciting time during Walt Disney World Resort's 50th anniversary celebration.
00:55Over the four days of content sessions and festivities of the Academy, the Disney Dreamers, as well as the parent or guardian who accompanies them, will enjoy the excitement of new attractions and experiences related to the 50th anniversary.
01:10Jump-starting career dreams has always been one of the tenets of the Disney Dreamers Academy.
01:18If you apply and are selected, you can look forward to four whirlwind days of hands-on career explorations and engagement with professionals and celebrities across a range of fields.
01:32The Academy has become a life-changing experience for well over 1,000 young people.
01:39We have seen the program grow and change, never losing focus of our mission to empower Disney Dreamers with the practical tools, relationships, and career insights to dream big and to be 100, the authentic and best version of themselves.
01:59But with only a couple of months left in the application window for the Disney Dreamers Academy, Class of 2022, we are laser-focused on driving awareness and applications from our community.
02:13This is a call to action to help us get the word out to prospective Disney Dreamers, parents, or guardians, and to schools, churches, or organizations in your community engaged with young people in high school between the ages of 13 to 19.
02:31Here's Dara Renee of the cast of the high school musical, the musical, the series, on Disney Plus, with more information on the program and a call to action to apply.
02:44Since 2008, more than 1,000 Disney Dreamers have come to Walt Disney World to experience the power of a dream.
02:53Is it your time to dream bigger?
02:56Be the hero of your own story.
02:58To believe you are the dreamer that the world is waiting for.
03:02High school students or parents get information on the Academy Class of 2022 on DisneyDreamersAcademy.com.
03:10Disney Dreamers, apply now!
03:12It's your time.
03:14Wow, that all looks like an opportunity of a lifetime.
03:20In addition to the amazing advice we'll be giving you all show long, you'll hear from Disney Dreamers Academy alum who pursued their dreams and found paths to success since discovering how to be 100, the best versions of themselves.
03:34Up first, we have Tabitha Willis, STEM Scholar and Class of 2018, whose Disney Dreamer Academy experience helped her discover that she could defy all limitations.
03:44Check it out.
03:44My name is Tabitha Willis, I'm 21 years old and I'm a Class of 2018 Disney Dreamer.
03:59I applied to Disney Dreamers Academy because I wanted to have an unrivaled experience.
04:04I wanted to be in a place where I could learn from students and from the amazing advisors and mentors that they provided us.
04:11My dream is to become a surgeon, but beyond that, it encompasses a lot of different factors.
04:17I want to be a renaissance woman.
04:19I don't want to limit myself on what I can become.
04:23Some people have bookshelves, but I have a book pile.
04:26It's a collection of books that mean the most to me, that have gotten me through my ups and also when I just need a pick-me-up to dive into a story, to transport me into a whole new place of being and a whole new mindset.
04:39Disney Dreamers Academy was unlike anything I had ever experienced in my life.
04:44I had never been to Disney World before.
04:46I had never been to a leadership-type conference before.
04:49The best advice that I received at the Disney Dreamers Academy was to not let your fears scream while your dreams whisper.
04:58Right now, I am a senior at The Ohio State University studying medical anthropology and biology.
05:03I'm currently studying for the MCAT so I can apply to medical school in the spring.
05:07I'm also working on a joint book talking about my experiences in STEM, being a person of color, and being a woman in a predominantly male field.
05:17If you're interested in STEM, I would say to go for it because there's so many opportunities.
05:21There's so many places you can go.
05:23There's so many avenues that you maybe haven't even heard of.
05:26So just jumping in, exploring the waters to figure out what fits you, what areas that you can thrive in is so important.
05:34And I'd say just jump in, just go for it.
05:36My biggest cheerleader has always been my family.
05:39They have always been in my corner when I need them most, specifically my dad.
05:43He was always there to drive me to that workshop, that event, that interview.
05:47And having those people in my life has only helped me pursue my dreams with even more vigor.
05:53If I hadn't attended the Disney Dreamers Academy, I would 100% not be the person I am today.
05:59I think what sets a Disney Dreamer apart is this heart, it's this passion that we all have for our respective fields.
06:06Whether it's the arts, it's engineering, it's medicine, there is a type of grit that we all have to pursue what we want to become.
06:14So when I returned to the Academy as an alumni champion, I felt ready to take on any of the challenges I might find, but also to help the students take on challenges that they might encounter too.
06:26The Academy is going to provide you with the skills, the mindset, and the motivation that you need to reach the next level in whatever career you're trying to pursue.
06:35It taught me to not be limited by the idea of or, but to be inspired by the idea of and.
06:41I can be a surgeon and a writer, I can pursue whatever I want in life, and so can anyone else.
06:52All of life, destiny stands waiting, asking you this one simple question.
06:59Who will you be?
07:02At Disney Dreamers Academy, my life was changed because my mind was changed
07:07when I saw people who said that if we could do it, you can too.
07:12So I decided, I will be great, I will be fearless, I will be a dreamer, I choose to be 100.
