I can confidently say I’ve had one of the most magical jobs imaginable. I trained under the watchful eye of the Fairy Godmother as I learned how to turn children into royalty. This wasn’t make-believe; it was my reality at Walt Disney World, where creating magic was part of the job. Today, I bring those lessons to Madison—lessons in onboarding and company culture that any HR professional can appreciate. Disney taught me how culture drives commitment, and now, through the Wisconsin School of Business, I’m learning how to apply that magic strategically.
My Disney career began in 2021, after earning my bachelor’s degree of political science. After working on a political campaign, I wanted a role where I could make a direct, positive impact—and my wish came true when I was placed at Avatar Flight of Passage, the highest-ranked attraction among guests at the time. Working at Pandora and Discovery Island taught me how to build relationships in a fast-paced environment while balancing operational excellence with guest satisfaction. I eventually stepped into a leadership role as a trainer and ambassador, responsible for onboarding and certifying more than 150 cast members from across the globe. When the opportunity arose to move to Cinderella’s Castle, I embraced it wholeheartedly and achieved my dream role: becoming a Majesty Mentor.
The Boutique was unlike any role I’d held before—it offered a complete transformation experience that unfolded over 90 magical minutes. As a Majesty Mentor, I guided each child through a journey of shopping, hair selection and styling, wish-making, and a sparkling makeup application. And yes, this was often with toddlers! Any parent knows the challenge of keeping a little one seated for even twenty minutes, so we had to be nimble, empathetic, and endlessly resourceful. We leaned on each other as cast members to make every transformation seamless, because creating magic was always a team effort. This role blended storytelling with exceptional service to craft experiences for children who believe these stories with all their hearts. As a Fairy Godmother, you become the living link to those dreams. That responsibility clarified my long-term purpose: I wanted to keep creating environments where people feel valued and inspired.
During my time at Disney, I realized how much I was drawn to roles that centered on people—roles that emphasized relationship building and creating meaningful experiences. Disney taught me what it means to create an environment where people feel valued and inspired, and I wanted to bring that same philosophy into organizations. To do that, I needed the tools to apply these lessons strategically. That’s what led me to the Wisconsin School of Business. Through the MBA program and the Strategic Human Resource Management specialization, I’ve confronted my weaknesses head-on (one word: statistics!) while expanding my network and learning how my experiences translate into HR principles. Disney gave me the foundation; Wisconsin is helping me transform it into strategy.
What I didn’t realize during my Disney days was how deeply my work aligned with HR—operations, people management, and engagement were woven into everything we did. It wasn’t until my MBA classes this semester that I truly saw the connection. Concepts like onboarding and culture came to life because I had experienced them firsthand. At Disney, orientation wasn’t a checklist; it was an experience designed to create immediate pride and purpose. Every cast member begins with Traditions, a class that sparks excitement and connects employees to the company’s promise. Through emotional videos of families creating memories, live storytelling, and even a surprise visit from Mickey Mouse to present your nametag, Disney transforms a first day into a defining moment. That experience is followed by specialized training and park tours, each crafted to reinforce expectations and build a sense of belonging. Disney created an environment where people feel valued and inspired from day one—a lesson my HR coursework has helped me understand on a strategic level. For me, it’s proof that onboarding can inspire commitment, not just compliance.
Company culture often feels like an elusive concept—hard to define and even harder to sustain. My MBA classes have helped me see that the instincts I developed at Disney are the foundation of a strong HR strategy. Creating an environment where people feel valued and inspired isn’t just a nice idea; it’s the cornerstone of engagement and retention. Disney showed me how powerful culture can be, and now, as I finish my first semester of graduate school, I understand how to translate those lessons into strategy. The magic I learned in the parks applies to the boardroom. Disney gave me the magic. My MBA is teaching me how to scale it.