OCTC's Fulkerson Selected for Disney College Program

by Andrea Borregard

Owensboro, KY (03/03/2020) — Owensboro Community & Technical College (OCTC) student Rachel Fulkerson has been selected to participate in the Disney College Program at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. The five- to seven-month paid internship provides students the opportunity to gain valuable, on-the-job experience, network with leaders, take part in personal and career development classes and build transferable skills such customer service and effective communication. Fulkerson will live in a Disney-sponsored housing complex with other students from all over country.

Fulkerson is ecstatic about the opportunity. She said, "If someone would've told me a year ago that I'd be working at Disney, I wouldn't have believed them. But if you want something, you have to go for it." That's exactly what she did. She began the three-step application process for the Disney College Program in mid-January. She first submitted a formal application and then responded to a web-based interview that consisted of personality and situational questions. Once Disney personnel evaluated those pieces, they decided to schedule a phone interview with her as a final step in the process.

She stated, "I was so nervous about the interview. I just kept thinking, 'I really want this. I want to be prepared', but I didn't know what to do exactly." Rachel met with one of OCTC's Experiential Learning Success Coaches, John Bristow, to discuss her upcoming call. She said the mock interview she had with Bristow gave her the encouragement and confidence she needed going into the interview with Disney. They emailed her two business days after the interview to formally offer her an internship. Even though Rachel will not find out the exact location of her internship (within the resort) until about a week before she leaves, the unknown is not overshadowing her excitement. She said, "I am a little hesitant because I've never lived away from home, but I know I've got this. I can't wait until August!"

Rachel is on track to graduate with her Associate in Arts degree in May 2020. Her original college plans did not included OCTC, but she said being here has been a blessing. "I always planned to go away for college, but everything happens for a reason. I enrolled here and immediately found a support system among friends and professors. At one point, I wanted to quit, but I had instructors like Dr. Meredith Skaggs and Ms. Nicole Nacey that kept pushing me. I can't tell you how important it is as a student to have someone you can talk to on rough days. I knew I could always go to them."

After returning from Disney, Fulkerson plans to transfer and enroll at Western Kentucky University to pursue a bachelor's degree in Marketing.

Owensboro Community & Technical College is one of the sixteen community and technical colleges that make up the Kentucky Community & Technical College System. OCTC serves the KY counties of Daviess, Hancock, Ohio and McLean. OCTC has three campuses in Daviess County and a Center and Annex in Hancock County. OCTC strives to serve the communities in the service area by providing associate degree education for transfer, state of the art technical education for students focusing on entering the workforce, customized business and industry solutions through the Workforce Solutions division, and adult education and business and industry testing through the SkillTrain unit.

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is the Commonwealth's largest postsecondary institution with 16 colleges and more than 70 campuses. We also are Kentucky's largest provider of workforce training and online education. Through partnerships with business and industry, we align our programs to meet the needs of local employers. We help students fulfill their dreams of creating a better life through programs that lead directly to jobs or help them transfer to one of our four-year partners.

Connect with OCTC: Owensboro.kctcs | Facebook.com/owensboroctc | Twitter@OCTC_Tweets | Instagram OwensboroCTC

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Rachel Fulkerson

Owensboro Community & Technical College (OCTC) student Rachel Fulkerson has been selected to participate in the Disney College Program at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. The five- to seven-month paid internship provides students the opportunity to gain valuable, on-the-job experience, network with leaders, take part in personal and career development classes and build transferable skills such customer service and effective communication. Fulkerson will live in a Disney-sponsored housing complex with other students from all over country.