In an unconventional professional development opportunity, first-generation, income-eligible and differently abled students at Kent State University traveled to the Walt Disney World Resort alongside TRIO Student Support Services for the Leadership, Innovation and Career Seminar in the fall of 2023.
Adam Cinderich, director of Kent State’s Student Support Services, said the trip aimed to provide an experience of a lifetime that students may not otherwise explore. Not only was this the first time several of the students had ever visited Walt Disney World, it was also the first time many had flown on an airplane.
Student Support Services, as part of Kent State’s award-winning support for students, is backed by TRIO, a set of federally funded college opportunity programs that motivate and help students from disadvantaged backgrounds pursue a college degree. Provided by the U.S. Department of Education, these funds help finance an abundance of opportunities provided by Student Support Services, but any remaining grant funds must be returned to the Department of Education at the end of the year.
Exploring ways to maximize student opportunities before that deadline, Cinderich and Bre Buckner, assistant director of Student Support Services, were searching for unique ways to enrich the program.
“Another university said they had previously taken students to the Disney Imagination Campus. Adam reached out to them directly to get a little information and I did more research on our end,” Buckner said. “Then we proposed it to our program officer in Washington, D.C. He had a couple edits, but overall, he approved it. We got some of the other campus partners on board in Community Engaged Learning and Student Success Programs to make it all happen.”
Students participated in numerous half-day workshops that included “Leadership the Disney Way” in EPCOT, “Immersive Storytelling” in Animal Kingdom, and “Theme Park Design” in Magic Kingdom. During the workshops, students explored the park and witnessed some behind-the-scenes “Cast Member Only” spaces, completed small group activities and projects centered around leadership, business practices, telling a meaningful story, teamwork and design.
Sophomore exercise science major Imani Ford’s favorite workshop was Immersive Storytelling, which took place in Disney World’s Animal Kingdom.
“We talked about the key concepts and how Animal Kingdom creates a story. When you walk in you see the tree of life and the further you go you feel like you are in Africa,” Ford said. “You see the designs on the wall, the buildings in the village. Truly, you get to go through a whole safari with the live animals walking around.”
One of the large group projects used student teamwork to create a vision board for a theme park they would design. Using a variety of provided materials including paint swatches, colors, texture samples, magazine clippings and art supplies, the students had to work together to create and present their vision board to Disney Imagination Campus leaders and peers.
“The connections that I made helped me get comfortable with stepping out of my comfort zone, and I think that will help me with my future career,” Ford said. “With anything that you are new to, it can be uncomfortable.”
Ford was also impressed with the diverse representation found at Disney World.
“Disney is very inclusive and diverse. There are crew members with disabilities working collecting tickets. I didn’t know this but in Epcot, people who are native to Germany are working in the Epcot's Germany,” Ford said. “Now I expect every workplace to be diverse and inclusive. Disney demonstrated that very well.”
Representation in the workplace is important for students as it proves there is space for everyone. The eye-opening experience at Disney World is exactly why Student Support Programs work to redefine what the workplace looks like.
“This trip was meant to open their eyes to see what is possible and to let them know they, too, can complete an internship or have a career with a company like Walt Disney,” Cinderich said.
Buckner recalls her time as a first-generation student and urges students to reach out to Student Support Services to take advantage of these opportunities.
“I tell students all the time ‘be better than me.’ I was first-gen and low-income as an undergrad. I knew that Student Support Services existed because my roommate was involved, but I insisted on doing things on my own,” Buckner said. “Don’t do that. Don't do what I did. Please get involved. Please talk to people. Ask for help. It's not necessary to do it all on your own. I'm getting paid to help you. Make me work for it.”
Student Support Services assists in the core areas of Academic Success, Personal and Professional Development and Advocacy and Support. Services and programming within Student Support Services offer endless opportunities for self-reflection, discovery and learning.