Holman at school and work in 8-month Disney program

Stephanie Holman, a 2009 graduate of Odessa High School has been accepted into the Disney College Internship program and has been in Anaheim, Calif. since the first of January. More than 4,000 students applied for the internship this year, and only 350 were accepted world-wide. (Disney World in Florida has the same program, also with 4,000 students accepted.) She works in Tomorrowland and runs the Astro-Orbiter ride and also the Captain EO Theatre. She also works with crowd control for fireworks and parades.

According to the program’s own literature, attractions cast members are responsible for operating attractions and providing a safe and enjoyable experience for the Disneyland Resort guests and cast.

They must also be alert to their surroundings, dispatch ride vehicles, safely load and unload guests, provide direction to evacuate rides, give memorized spiels to large groups, solve problems quickly, answer questions and be responsive to special requests. There is a great deal of guest interaction when working parade and entertainment guest control.

Holman lives in an apartment complex with other Disney cast members. Her four other roommates are from Arizona and California, and they also work in the park, one in Adventure Land running the Tiki Room attraction and the Jungle Cruise Ride, another in custodial at California Adventure, one in costuming and the last in food services making salads and desserts for the Blue Bayou Restaurant in the Pirates of the Caribbean Ride.

This is an eight-month program where she is working in Disneyland 40 hours a week, plus doing schooling. She gets full credit through Disney Corporation and Whitworth University. She is a Junior at Whitworth. Her major is Communications.

Her goal has been to work for the Disney Company for many, many years. She eventually wants to be in guest relations, where she takes tourists on private tours through the park. She has added Spanish and American Sign Language to her degree in order to be able to accommodate more guests. She would like to return to Disneyland after graduation in 2013 and eventually move to Florida and possibly abroad to other Disney locations.

Stephanie is the daughter of Craig and Ellen Holman of Lamona. Both are teachers at the Odessa schools. They visited Stephanie in Anaheim over spring break. “We find it very rewarding for her to be putting Odessa on the map. She is having the time of her life. She loves the people she works for and loves dealing with guests, said Ellen Holman.

“Every day is magical,” says Stephanie.