Five Dallas-area teens are among the new Disney Dreamers Academy class of 100 students from around the country that was revealed on the Martin Luther King Day holiday by Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, where the annual mentoring program was created to broaden career awareness and inspire teens from Black and underrepresented communities to dream beyond their wildest imaginations.
The 100 selected students were featured during a live TV segment on ABC’s “Good Morning America.’’ The segment highlighted one of the selected students,16-year-old Sophia of South Orange, New Jersey, who is involved with her local YMCA, Girls Scouts, orchestra, lacrosse and the math team, and aspires to become an aerospace engineer.
The students from the Dallas area selected to participate in the 2024 Disney Dreamers Academy are:
| Lakshmi | Gorthi | Coppell | TX |
| Zahra | Khatri | Plano | TX |
| Madison | McClellan | Dallas | TX |
| Ahlaysia | Beasley | Desoto | TX |
| Christiana | Blankson | Lewisville | TX |
At the four-day program at Walt Disney World, the 100 Disney Dreamers will engage with business leaders, Disney executives, celebrities and educators, who will immerse them in workshops and seminars designed to supercharge their career dreams. The students will also explore a wide range of career disciplines while also learning essential skills, such as effective communication techniques, leadership and networking strategies.
And, of course, they will spend plenty of time experiencing the magic of Walt Disney World.
“We eagerly anticipate the arrival of another exceptional group of high schoolers from all corners of the country for our 17th year,” said Tracey Powell, Senior Vice President of Consumer Insight, Measurement & Analytics and Executive Champion of Disney Dreamers Academy. “These future leaders are poised to embark on a transformative journey, gaining an experience of a lifetime that will propel them towards achieving their dreams.”
Each year, the Disney Dreamers are selected from thousands of applicants who answer essay questions about their personal stories and dreams for the future. The students and a parent or guardian enjoy an all-expenses paid trip to Walt Disney World. The program is an important part of Disney’s commitment to supporting diverse communities by encouraging the next generation to think and dream big.
Since 2008, Disney Dreamers Academy has inspired more than 1,600 students from across the country by fueling their dreams and showing them a world of possibilities as they prepare for their futures. In the years following, graduates have become storytellers, artists, engineers, innovators, journalists and more, and have transitioned into mentors to the Disney Dreamers who follow them.
For more information, visit DisneyDreamersAcademy.com. Regular updates about Disney Dreamers Academy are available on social media at Facebook.com/DisneyDreamersAcademy and Instagram.com/disneydreamersacademy.
The 100 students selected for the 2024 Disney Dreamers Academy are (listed by state):
| Name | City | State |
| Trynnady A. | Demopolis | AL |
| Makena D. | Oro Valley | AZ |
| Eli M. | Mesa | AZ |
| Chase R. | Peoria | AZ |
| Yara A. | Sunnyvale | CA |
| Christian A. | Chula Vista | CA |
| Johannes A. | Los Angeles | CA |
| Kira B. | Mission Viejo | CA |
| Zoie D. | Chula Vista | CA |
| Orlando E. | Los Angeles | CA |
| Gavin K. | Orange | CA |
| David L. | Encino | CA |
| Maria L. | Los Angeles | CA |
| Noelle N. | Torrance | CA |
| Lola O. | Carson | CA |
| Ahmad S. | Banning | CA |
| Ricardo S. | Bell | CA |
| Roshan S. | Whittier | CA |
| Abigail V. | Aliso Viejo | CA |
| Shrujana V. | Pleasanton | CA |
| Emma Rose W. | Laguna Niguel | CA |
| Yuri Y. | Fullerton | CA |
| Sophia Z. | San Jose | CA |
| James C. | Granby | CT |
| Julia A. | Washington | DC |
| Sofia B. | Boynton Beach | FL |
| Mya C. | Fort Lauderdale | FL |
| Michaelangelo D. | Kissimmee | FL |
| Gabriella G. | Sunny Isles Beach | FL |
| Devanshi Krishna G. | Wesley Chapel | FL |
| Dayna H. | Belle Isle | FL |
| Alana M. | Lauderhill | FL |
| Gabriel Q. | Dade City | FL |
| Bengina A. | Lithia Springs | GA |
| Hannah D. | Riverdale | GA |
| Lillian F. | Mount Airy | GA |
| Jordan H. | Grovetown | GA |
| Riley K. | Acworth | GA |
| Amir M. | Mableton | GA |
| Patrice N. | Augusta | GA |
| Bianca O. | Marietta | GA |
| Cameryn P. | Atlanta | GA |
| Ellis S. | Atlanta | GA |
| Elisabeth L. | Des Moines | IA |
| Kevin K. | Arlington Heights | IL |
| Ren O. | Carmel | IN |
| Leena D. | Olathe | KS |
| Ayanna J. | Olathe | KS |
| Kaleyce M. | Merriam | KS |
| Graham B. | Fort Thomas | KY |
| JahhSuha O. | Lexington | KY |
| Ja’Leah R. | Baton Rouge | LA |
| Ezekiel W. | Slidell | LA |
| Anah S. | Rockville | MD |
| Keyaira J. | Detroit | MI |
| Hosanna Z. | Ypsilanti | MI |
| Legacy J. | Saint Louis | MO |
| Mia E. | Raleigh | NC |
| Jill H. | Garner | NC |
| Camille S. | Charlotte | NC |
| Shadiya U. | Charlotte | NC |
| Tacori W. | Winston-Salem | NC |
| Jayden W. | Henderson | NC |
| Sanaa W. | Charlotte | NC |
| Nathaniel D. | Willingboro | NJ |
| Sophia H. | South Orange | NJ |
| Reyna M. | Bridgeton | NJ |
| Jasmine O. | Las Vegas | NV |
| Rabiat A. | Bronx | NY |
| Kyla Marie G. | Laurelton | NY |
| Ava R. | Grand Island | NY |
| Jacora G. | Oakwood Village | OH |
| Benjamin M. | Hudson | OH |
| Faith S. | Byesville | OH |
| TeLario W. | Blacklick | OH |
| Daniela L. | Norristown | PA |
| Nandana M. | McDonald | PA |
| Joci W. | Munford | TN |
| Ahlaysia B. | Desoto | TX |
| Hayden B. | Hutto | TX |
| Walter B. | San Antonio | TX |
| Christiana B. | Lewisville | TX |
| Logan E. | League City | TX |
| Lakshmi G. | Coppell | TX |
| Zahra K. | Plano | TX |
| Madison M. | Dallas | TX |
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