School Pride Scholarship Essay
Posted by Ashley | | Posted On Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at 12:05 PM
Well…here I am back in Provo, back at Brigham Young University.
I have been working really hard on having a better, more positive attitude regarding all aspects of my life. While doing so, I thought it would be good for me to “count my blessings, name them one by one” and really consider all the many wonderful opportunities that I can only find here on this particular campus (Hymns 241).
As I was considering this, it dawned on me that by attending BYU I have been able to more fully, more easily connect with the company I wish to pursue a career with: Disney.
Why is this?
It all goes back to our infamous Honor Code.
While many people scoff at the idea of having to sign a contract-like agreement that pertains to moral standards, this very agreement has been the catalyst into my Disney career. The particular aspect of the Honor Code that connects with the Walt Disney Company is the area regarding our standards of dress and appearance.
Here at BYU, all students are expected to maintain certain standards when it comes to personal appearance: no piercings on men, only one piercing per ear for women, no extreme hair styles or colors, etc.
These standards go hand-in-hand with what the Disney Company refers to as “the Disney look”: no piercings on men, only one piercing per ear for women, no extreme hair styles or colors, etc.
Because of these congruencies, the Disney Company recruits very heavily from BYU, BYU-Idaho, and BYU-Hawaii to fill internship and other employment positions within the company. The company is aware that as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and as students of any of the above-mentioned universities, we are expected to already uphold and maintain the conservative and clean-cut look that Disney favors. By recruiting from this pool of “pre-prepared” people, Disney understands that they have less to worry about; they are not as concerned about having to enforce their standards upon us.
As a BYU student I have already been greatly fortunate to have participated in the Disney College Program. Because of that fantastic experience and opportunity, I now have an “in” with the company and hope to continue expanding my relationship with them by continuing to work for the company during school and after graduation. BYU’s standards of dress and grooming, certainly a unique part of our campus, allowed me to more easily gain access to the Disney Company’s employment opportunities. This in turn has directly affected my future career decisions. BYU has been a major stepping stone to get me to where I wish to be in the (hopefully) near future: a full-time cast member of the Walt Disney Company.
Thanks, BYU!
Notes:
For information on the BYU Honor Code:
For information on the "Disney Look":
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That's pretty cool! So what exactly would you like to do with Disney in particular, or is it simply the organization in general that you would like to stick with?
I am leaning towards a Guest Relations position...but I am not entirely sure. The company just has SO much to offer. Once you are "in" you can move basically any direction you want to. It is pretty amazing!
Best of luck to you!
That's pretty cool that you know exactly where you want to end up! What would you be doing (ideally) working for Disney? What degree are you working towards?