00:00My name is Tabitha Willis. I'm 21 years old and I'm a class of 2018 Disney Dreamer. I applied
00:15to Disney Dreamers Academy because I wanted to have an unrivaled experience. I wanted to be in
00:20a place where I could learn from students and from the amazing advisors and mentors that they
00:25provided us. My dream is to become a surgeon but beyond that it encompasses a lot of different
00:31factors. I want to be a renaissance woman. I don't want to limit myself on what I can become. Some
00:38people have bookshelves but I have a book pile. It's a collection of books that mean the most to me
00:44that have gotten me through my ups and also when I just need a pick-me-up to dive into a story
00:50to transport me into a whole new place of being and a whole new mindset. Disney Dreamers Academy
00:56was unlike anything I had ever experienced in my life. I had never been to Disney World before.
01:01I had never been to a leadership type conference before. The best advice that I received at the
01:07Disney Dreamers Academy was to not let your fears scream while your dreams whisper. Right now I am
01:14a senior at The Ohio State University studying medical anthropology and biology. I'm currently
01:19studying for the MCAT so I can apply to medical school in the spring. I'm also working on a joint
01:24book talking about my experiences in STEM being a person of color and being a woman in a predominantly
01:31male field. If you're interested in STEM I would say to go for it because there's so many opportunities.
01:36There's so many places you can go. There's so many avenues that you maybe haven't even heard of.
01:41So just jumping in exploring the waters to figure out what fits you, what areas that you can thrive in,
01:48is so important and I'd say just jump in, just go for it. My biggest cheerleader has always been my
01:54family. They have always been in my corner when I need them most, specifically my dad. He was always
01:59there to drive me to that workshop, that event, that interview and having those people in my life has
02:05only helped me pursue my dreams with even more vigor. If I hadn't attended the Disney Dreamers Academy,
02:11I would 100% not be the person I am today. I think what sets a Disney Dreamer apart is this heart,
02:17it's this passion that we all have for our respective fields. Whether it's the arts, it's engineering, it's
02:24medicine, there is a type of grit that we all have to pursue what we want to become. So when I returned
02:31to the Academy as an alumni champion, I felt ready to take on any of the challenges I might find but also
02:37to help the students take on challenges that they might encounter too. The Academy is going to provide
02:43you with the skills, the mindset and the motivation that you need to reach the next level in whatever
02:50career you're trying to pursue. It taught me to not be limited by the idea of or but to be inspired by
02:56the idea of and. I can be a surgeon and a writer, I can pursue whatever I want in life and so can anyone else.
03:07Thank you very much.
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