Disney Dreamers Academy 2014

My father had pushed me to apply for the Disney Dreamers Academy, sponsored by Steve Harvey, Disney, and Essence Magazine last year and I missed the deadline. This year he made sure I didn't! I wrote an essay and filled out a questionnaire, then mailed them in. I waited patiently for a couple of weeks and soon received the news. I was in! Out of the 10,000 who applied I was one of the 100 who were accepted.  On March 6-9th, I participated in the Disney Dreamers Academy at Walt Disney World in Florida. This four day program, is designed to “unlock the potential in young people and enable them to imagine their futures anew through inspirational leaders who show how to set goals, make plans and dream big.”

Disney paid for two tickets for the flight down to Orlando, as well as meals, and hotel accommodations.

We also had Fastpasses so any free time we had in the park, could be well-spent, skipping the notoriously long lines at the theme parks. However, we did not have that much free time in the parks, instead we had the opportunity to work with successful celebrities and listen to some great motivational speakers. We listened to Dexter Tanksley, a Disney Imagineer, whose combined projects are valued over 12 billion dollars. I met teenagers just like me, who owned their own businesses and nonprofit organizations. We listened to motivational speaker, Jonathan Sprinkles as he lectured to us about never giving up on our dream, no matter what other people say or how many times you are set back. We listened to Magic Johnson speak to us about perseverance (my goodness he was tall). We learned the correct way to introduce yourself to someone and present a business card. 

All the teenage guys had their own session separate from the girls, talking about courage, our image, and what it means to be a man. I had a “deep dive” with animator Jason Peltz, who had worked on Mulan, Lilo and Stitch, Hercules, Emperor's New Groove and more, as we learned about different animation styles and received a crash course in drawing Mickey Mouse. 

It was a powerful, inspiring weekend. All these people we met were trying to show us that we can do more, we are worth more than what other people may say. All our limits are self-imposed and the only thing stopping us, is us. I was inspired by these four days. Even writing this paragraph inspired myself, to rise above mediocrity and do more with myself. This was an invaluable four days that I will never forget. My time at the Disney Dreamer's Academy inspired me to work even harder at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes. After meeting with some of the fellow Dreamers, I appreciated even more the opportunities I have been given to learn and work at SSSAS and will not waste my time at this special place.

There’s me in the bottom left hand corner of the picture.

 

Spring Break 2014: Greece

 

During Spring Break, I had the opportunity to travel to Greece with my SSSAS. It was an experience I will never forget. This was my first time traveling to Europe and I was excited! The city of Athens was beautiful, and it was awe-inspiring to see the ancient ruins juxtaposed next to modern apartments. We were traveling non-stop, taking in all the remnants the ancient history of Greece. Almost every place we visited would fit perfectly on a postcard, and I can truly say that there was never a bad view any place we stopped. Experiencing this country’s natural landscape made me appreciate the beauty of nature a lot more. The food was amazing and the people we met were generally pleasant and congenial. I had a great time in Greece, and look forward to returning in the near future.

The view from the top of the Acrocorinth, the highest point of the ancient city of Corinth. The picture doesn't really do justice to the amazing view and atmosphere of the top of this mountain.

You can read more about my trip on our Saint's Go Global Blog - http://saintsgoglobal.blogspot.com/

Florida for Spring Break

Over spring break, I traveled to Florida with the SSSAS lacrosse team. For the first couple of days, both JV, varsity, and coaches, stayed in St. Petersburg.

While in St. Pete's, we were able to bond off the field and find our groove and strengths on the field. Besides playing games, the team would go out to dinner and get ice cream. I remember one night I had the best combination of raspberry and lemon gelato. It was awesome!

After the brief stay in St. Petersburg, we drove  to West Palm Beach where we played more games as well as lounged by the pool. Playing and lounging in the heat was a lot better than the alternative that my friends experienced while back home over break. Not only did I get to play lacrosse, but I also got quite a tan! We faced some serious competition and definitely grew as a team. I'm excited that we were able to find our stride in Florida because after big win this week against Notre Dame Prep, I know we will come out strong in our Spring Fling this weekend.

Spring Fling is an event hosted by the girls lacrosse team. Teams from all over country come to compete. I'm really excited to face some new competition. Go saints!

Spring Break Fun

During Spring Break, I skied down snow-covered mountains AND played golf on a sunny, seaside course.  Due to my involvement with so many fun school activities this winter, I didn’t get a chance to go skiing, so I really wanted to go over Spring Break.  However, I also wanted to go somewhere warm to practice golf before the SSSAS golf season begins.  Luckily, I was able to do both!  Snowshoe Resort in West Virginia still had a great base of snow, and Myrtle Beach offered the perfect weather for golf.  I can’t decide if I enjoyed the slalom course or the golf course more, but both were fantastic.  Although our break is over, I’m looking forward to playing Saints golf and following all the other exciting spring sports at SSSAS – lacrosse, baseball, softball, track, and tennis.  Go Saints!

Spring Break 2014

Check out all of the international trips Saint's went on over Spring Break last week!
http://saintsgoglobal.blogspot.com/