A Magical Journey Begins for 100 High School Students Headed to Disney's Dreamers Academy

A Magical Journey Begins for 100 High School Students Headed to Disney's Dreamers Academy

Walt Disney World Resort and Celebrity Radio Personality Steve Harvey Announce Participants

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., Nov. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Walt Disney World Resort will open the doors of the magic behind Disney to 100 creative and imaginative teens from New York to New Orleans, from Compton, CA., to Wichita, KS -- that is, from all across the United States -- who have been selected to participate in Disney's Dreamers Academy. Disney worked with nationally syndicated radio personality Steve Harvey to create this innovative program.

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Designed to immerse the students in creative and non-conventional career opportunities, the first-ever career enrichment program of its kind will take place in the world's most creative classroom -- Walt Disney World Resort -- Jan. 17-20, 2008, during The Year of a Million Dreams.

The Steve Harvey Morning Show conducted the Dreamer's Contest to identify the participants in Disney's Dreamers Academy. This program was created for high school students who show promise -- but may need a little motivation. However, all of the selected students share a trait: the power to DREAM. Parents, teachers, school administrators, church groups and even the students themselves nominated more than 3,000 aspiring dreamers from across the nation for the program.

The participants were selected by a distinguished panel of judges including: Harvey; Dr. Emma Epps, president of the National Alliance of Black School Educators; Jennifer Bohn, international baccalaureate coordinator at Evans High School in Orlando, FL.; Gary Cain, president of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida; Ernie Suggs, vice president of the National Association of Black Journalists; CNN anchor Tony Harris; Terrence J., host of BET 106 & Park; Rushion McDonald, executive producer of the Steve Harvey Morning Show; Xiomara Wiley, vice president of Disneyland marketing and vice president of Walt Disney World Multicultural Marketing; and Eugene Campbell, director of Community Relations, Walt Disney World Resort.

During Disney's Dreamers Academy, young dreamers will have unprecedented access to the magic behind Walt Disney World Resort. Students will participate in interactive workshops focusing on a variety of subjects including Walt Disney World Imagineering techniques, entertainment, the business of sports, culinary arts, and more. Disney cast members, executives and celebrities like actress Monique Coleman will share their blueprints for success. And the lucky participants will explore Disney's theme parks before a graduation ceremony where a special guest will deliver a motivational address.

"When you talk about the Disney World organization it has as many jobs as a single corporation can have and I'm excited to see these kids have an opportunity to experience everything that Disney has to offer them," said Steve Harvey. "We'll show these kids that there are many ways to follow your dreams."

"This is a special program that we have created as part of the Year of a Million Dreams celebration at Disney Parks," said Disney's Wiley. "We want to educate and open doors for our young dreamers by helping them to realize the power within and inspiring them to discover their dreams and follow them wherever they lead."

   The magic begins ...                  The complete list of 100 teens selected to                participate in Disney's Dreamers Academy **          Name             City       State    High School Name   Arcalia Butler     Phoenix City   AL     Central   Brandon Cook       Birmingham     AL     Wenonah   Angel Flournoy     Sherwood       AR     North Pulski   Ashley Thomas      N Little Rock  AR     N Little Rock- West   Deonte Harmon      Covina         CA     Northview   Jacquelyn Austin   Fontana        CA     Etiwanda   Jeanessa Perry     Compton        CA     New Roads Preparatory School   Kelsie Shawver     Los Angeles    CA     St. Monica Catholic   LaToya Johnson     Compton        CA     Dominguez   Russell Haylock    Inglewood      CA     Morningside   Sharnice Walker    Washington     DC     Duke Ellington Performing Arts   Brandon Ross       Newark         DE     Cab Calloway High School of the                                            Arts   Britne Hutchins    New Castle     DE     Pencader Charter   Rahjae Cooper      Bear           DE     Christiana   Anjanetta Hunter   St Petersburg  FL     Boca Ciega   Branden Long       New Smyrna     FL     New Smyrna Beach                      Beach   Brittany Bowling   Dunnellon      FL     Crystal River   Ebony Collins      Miami          FL     Everglades   Erin Ravanel       Tampa          FL     King   Irvin Wilson       Orlando        FL     Evans   Jason Elo          Deerfield      FL     Deerfield Beach                      Beach   Lacoya White       Bradenton      FL     Lakewood Ranch   Lavelle Paul       Homestead      FL     Florida Virtual   Maire Fatil        Miami          FL     Miami Northwestern Senior   Manuel O'Neal      Jacksonville   FL     A. Phillip Randolph   Marcinis Shaw      Davenport      FL     Don E Woods   Onassis Vilaire    Miami          FL     Robert Morgan EDU Ctr.   Syndic Geedanie    North Miami    FL     Miami Northwestern Senior                      Beach   Tiffany Bell-Ortiz Orlando        FL     Ocoee   Troy Williams III  Tampa          FL     DW Waters Career Center   Christopher Braz   Stone          GA     Miller Grove                      Mountain   Johnte Green       Lithonia       GA     New Birth Christian Academy   Joshua Postell     Atlanta        GA     D.M. Therrell   Quinterrence Bell  Macon          GA     Northeast   Shaquinzela        Macon          GA     Westside   Simpson   JacQuez Walker     Chicago        IL     Kelvyn Park   Kenneth Sellers    Wichita        KS     Wichita Southeast   Demarcus Brown     Gilliam        LA     North Caddo   Jesse Bridges      New Orleans    LA     U.N.O Early College   Kendra Lynch-Mills New Orleans    LA     Xavier University Preparatory   Misunique Byes     Avondale       LA     L.W. Higgins   Bret Sears         Baltimore      MD     Renaissance Academy   Cameron Jackson    Frederick      MD     Frederick Senior   Carlos Teixeria    Baltimore      MD     Baltimore School for the Arts   Christopher Burt   Suitland       MD     Dr. Henry A. Wise Senior   Jared Smith        Upper          MD     Henry Wise Jr.                      Marlboro   Jordan Holley      Randallstown   MD     Towson Catholic   Kayla Williams     Silver Spring  MD     James Hubert Blake   Mitchell Generette Baltimore      MD     Renaissance Academy   Monique Davis      Annapolis      MD     Annapolis   Nevasha Noble      Bowie          MD     Central   Reginald Cromer    Greenbelt      MD     Eleanor Roosevelt   Ronnie Jones       Frederick      MD     Governor Johnson   Zachary Green      Clinton        MD     Surrattsville   Ariel Gardner      Pontiac        MI     Pontiac Central   Brittany O'Neal    Clinton Twp.   MI     Clintondale   Devin Whitfield    Detroit        MI     Henry Ford   Kamila Powell      Detroit        MI     Arts Academy in the Woods   (Merritt)   Omari Cook, Jr.    Inkster        MI     John Glenn   Tevyn Cole         Maybee         MI     Milan   Brian Myers        Kansas City    MO     Park Hill South   Ronald Moore-Mingo Kansas City    MO     Center Alternative School   Dominique Newell   Charlotte      NC     Phillip O. Berry Academy of                                            Technology    Falesse Benfold    Fayetteville   NC     E.E. Smith   Gabrielle Smith    Winston-Salem  NC     Central Dauphin East   Jason Riley        Charlotte      NC     Victory Christian Center   Latia Hawkins      Winston Salem  NC     Carver   Lavonde Roseboro   Charlotte      NC     Hopewell   Malcolm Ransom     Fort Bragg     NC     Massey Hill Classical   Xavier Ball        Greensboro     NC     James Bensons Dudley   Bryan Byrd         Newark         NJ     Barringer   Eboni Miller       Trenton        NJ     Trenton Central   Edward Thorpe      Trenton        NJ     Burlington County                                            Lumberton County   Jahbari Woodson    Trenton        NJ     Emily Fisher Charter School   Malcom Bristow     Newark         NJ     Union Catholic Regional   Tommie Jones II    Glassboro      NJ     Glassboro   Berchell Egerton   Brooklyn       NY     Christ church School   Earl Morris        NY             NY     Wadleigh High School of                                            Performing Arts.   Rian Grimes        New York       NY     Humanities   Sharran Atterberry Laurelton      NY     Freedom Academy   Andrew Howard      Philadelphia   PA     Constitution   Eriberto Roman     West Chester   PA     B. Reed Henderson   Maurice Muldrow    Philadelphia   PA     E.S. Miller   Patricia Thompson  Upper Darby    PA     Upper Darby   Stephanie Stewart  Philadelphia   PA     Frankford Senior   Atiya Leach        York           SC     Clover   Brittany Hopkins   Summerville    SC     Summerville   Eric Hooper        Chester        SC     Chester Senior   Kendrick Thompson  Lancaster      SC     Lancaster   Ronald Sloan       Columbia       SC     Columbia   Steven Brown       Columbia       SC     WJ Keenan   Paulita Edmondson  Gates          TN     Hall   Ericka Williams    Tyler          TX     Robert E Lee   Christy Fuller     North          VA     Middlesex   Eric Robinson      Cobbs Greek    VA     Mathews   Jalen Grant        Richmond       VA     Huguenot   Joseph Staley      Norfolk        VA     Granby   Quiamony Gaskins   Norfolk        VA     Norview   Jasmine Bass       Milwaukee      WI     Milwaukee Lutheran   Nadine Verner      Milwaukee      WI     Riverside University    **Participation is contingent upon verification and return of required     documentation.  

First Call Analyst:
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PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: Walt Disney World Resort

CONTACT: Annette Gibbs of Walt Disney World Resort, +1-407-566-5330,
Annette.gibbs@disney.com; or Leslie Bardo, +1-312-297-9752,
lbardo@burrell.com, for Walt Disney World Resort

NOTE TO EDITORS: For photographs and more information about Disney's Dreamers Academy or Walt Disney World Resort, access the Walt Disney World Public Relations media only Web site at wdwnews.com; user name: disney; password: magic.

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Profile: International Entertainment