Hannah Fender and Kayla Walker are both senior musical theatre majors, but that’s not the only thing they have in common. While they happen to be best friends who share similar experiences here at Ouachita, they are also both about to embark on their most “magical” journey of all. Fender and Walker will spend next fall at Disney World, working in its college program.
Fender and Walker both reflected on their journey to Disney and how Ouachita helped guide them to the right career path.
“At Ouachita, I have been able to discover my love for creative development,” Fender said.
She has had the opportunity to direct twice for the 10-Minute Play Festival and saw her own ideas fully realized when the Muse project allowed her to direct “Not a Clue,” something she thought of two years prior. Having the ability to guide her own experiences at Ouachita, Fender realized that directing is something she would love to do in her future career.
Walker has also had amazing experiences while focusing on musical theatre and acting. Perhaps one of her favorite experiences of all was being a hostess for Tiger Tunes, something she knew she wanted to do after seeing Tiger Tunes for the first time when she was a prospective student. Walker credits the faculty and staff at Ouachita for helping her grow into the person she is today and emphasizes the feeling of “home” for her on campus.
While their personal experiences may be different, they both agree that Ouachita is a place where the faculty encourages student-led ideas and individuals’ success.
Fender and Walker will graduate in May, but that is not the end of their journey together. They both have received positions in the College Program at Disney for the upcoming fall semester.
While Walker will experience this program for the first time, Fender has been through the program twice before. The first time she went through the program was in the fall of 2014, where she worked on the “Frozen” Sing Along and in the Jedi Training Academy. The second time was this past summer, where she worked on the Festival of the Lion King, adding that she really had the chance to network. Encouraging Walker to apply for the college program, Fender and Walker both took a trip to Disney World over Christmas break in 2015. Then and there, Walker knew this was somewhere she would love to work.
In order to receive this position, both had to complete an online application, answer an online questionnaire and then interview over the phone. They later received an email at the same time, while in class together, that they had been accepted. They both received the same position, for which Disney only hires 20 or so workers/students.
Before they leave for Disney World in Orlando on June 5, they have a few things to start working on. They will spend their time working as fairy godmothers in training inside the Bippity Boppity Boutique or as a pirate, so they must be up-to-date on all the Disney princess and pirate stories. Disney focuses on making the experience at the park magical, and kids tend to be quite inquisitive of the characters, so this is a critical part of the job.
After they arrive and get settled as roommates, they will spend their first day of training learning the traditions of the park and Disney. They will then go to training in their specific role, which falls under the category of merchandise, performance and cosmetology. After this, they will go to training for the specific park, which will be Disney Springs or Magic Kingdom, and they will learn how to create the hairstyles and makeup for the visitors. While the cosmetic side of the job is important, the whole idea is to make the experiences magical for the kids.
While no one knows for sure what is in store for the future, Fender and Walker both have plans to continue their time at Disney after the semester ends in January.
They will both plan to apply for an extension in the college program, a part-time job and a full-time job at the park. However, they both have different long-term goals in mind. Fender would like to work with creative development or as a director within Disney, and Walker would like to eventually audition for the vocal groups in the park. Fender and Walker both agreed that they plan to go where God calls them, and they never know what is in store.
Hannah Fender and Kayla Walker have always had a love for Disney, which makes this opportunity even more exciting. They have an incredible experience at Disney ahead of them. Walker added with a smile, “I’m just really excited to experience the most magical place on earth.”
– Ashlynn Morton, staff writer
