For 15 local students from the Anaheim Union High School District, it has been a summer full of developing professional skills, tapping into creativity and learning from industry leaders. Through AIME (Anaheim’s Innovative Mentoring Experience), incoming high school seniors from the district have the unique opportunity to connect and work alongside businesses and organizations across Orange County, including Disneyland Resort.
AIME students are joined by their mentors at the program’s final presentation event.
How AIME inspires local students at Disneyland Resort
As part of Disneyland Resort’s Community Workforce Development Initiative, this annual six-week program gives students a behind-the-scenes look at the operation at the resort, giving them the unique opportunity to refine their business acumen and skill sets while crafting a final, cumulative project demonstrating their learnings from the experience. Additionally, the students are each paired with a mentor at the resort who assist them in all facets of professional development, including everything from discussing goals for the future to providing exposure to different career paths and opportunities to interact with resort leaders.
AIME students pose in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland park.
The connections formed between the students and their mentors are unequivocally valuable, allowing both mentors and mentees to grow in tandem over the course of the summer program. For many of the mentorship pairs, they see themselves in one another and, in turn, provide wonderful insights while sharing unforgettable memories.
Meet two stand-out mentorship pairs who found connection in their shared experience, having attended the same high school decades apart!
Disneyland Resort Content Strategy Manager Corey Collins and his mentee, Anthony, bond over their shared experiences.
Corey & Anthony — A full-circle mentorship match
When Disneyland Resort Content Strategy Manager Corey Collins was introduced to his mentee, Anthony, he couldn’t help but feel like history was repeating itself. “Anthony and I went to the same elementary school, junior high and high school — and he even wants to have the same major in college that I had,” Corey said. “From day one, we realized that we had so many things in common.”
These commonalities laid the groundwork for Corey and Anthony’s connection, building a foundation of understanding and empathy that quickly fostered their respective growth. Given his shared appreciation for Anthony’s interests, Corey went above and beyond to introduce him to cast members in roles that piqued his curiosity, including nurses on-site at the resort!
Following in a mentor’s footsteps
“I feel like Corey and I clicked instantly,” Anthony said. “He’s funny but he’s also very informative. He is constantly helping me step out of my comfort zone.” The AIME program has inspired Anthony to be more confident and pursue his interests, pushing him to be more outspoken as he connects with his peers while working on the final project of the program – planning a simulated community event at the resort. And, once again following in his mentor’s footsteps, Anthony aims to represent the model of leadership that Corey has taught him through his work in the final presentation, prioritizing safety and efficiency while researching and planning this event.
For Corey, a lifetime Anaheim resident, watching local students like Anthony thrive in AIME is an especially fulfilling experience given their distinct similarities, and one he will never forget. “I grew up in Anaheim, I still live in Anaheim today and I decided to raise my family here. I think it’s special to know that Disneyland Resort cares about the community around it.”
Leise & Jordan — Cheering each other on to success
Casting Services Recruiter Leise Zamora may have traded in her pom poms for a Disneyland Resort nametag years ago, but through her AIME mentorship pairing, she feels as if she is returning to her roots: “I have seen a lot of myself in my mentee,” Leise said. “She’s taken me back; it’s that nostalgia of high school and just thinking ‘Wow, I was her age at one time.’”
Casting Services Recruiter Leise Zamora and her mentee, Jordan, share their high school yearbooks.
Both Leise and her mentee Jordan attended Loara High School in Anaheim. But the similarities don’t stop there – Leise was once a cheerleader at this high school and Jordan is currently an athlete on the same squad. This passion for tumbling and cheering united the two, making their bond all the more special throughout the program. As Jordan embarked on unique professional development experiences, including park walks with duty managers and workshops with leaders across the resort, she looked to Leise for inspiration and advice on growing out of her shell.
“The encouragement Leise has given me throughout this whole program has honestly given me more confidence which I have really enjoyed,” Jordan said. “It’s something I used to struggle with, and she’s really helped me build that.”
Making dreams come true through mentorship
In alignment with her growing confidence, Jordan had a goal she aimed to achieve while participating in the program – becoming cheer captain. With Leise’s guidance, Jordan wrote and rehearsed a speech that she presented in front of her teammates and cheer advisor at Loara High School. But before that, Leise used her expertise as a recruiter to ensure Jordan’s public speaking skills were perfected: “I pushed Jordan out of her comfort zone and had her practice the speech in front of my colleagues. I challenged her to do that, and she did great,” Leise said. Thanks to Leise’s support, Jordan achieved her goal and is now captain of the cheer squad!
With her spirits high, Jordan is not stopping there when it comes to creating happiness in her future. Through participating in the AIME program and connecting with Leise, she has her sights set on her future endeavors – from cheering on the sidelines to cheering others on in the workplace.
“Whenever I think, ‘What do I want to do in the future?’ I know I want to help people,” Jordan said. “Knowing I can make people happy in a place like this has drawn me more to Disneyland Resort.”