Abdisalan Ali just got home last month from a seven-month internship at Disney World and went right back to the books. The Central Maine Community College accounting major took part in the Disney Theme Parks and Resorts College Program, a paid internship.

“It was really good for people doing hospitality,” he said. But he learned things, too, in the Mouse House. And then there were the perks…

Ali has about two years left to finish his degree before he hopes to land a job at a “great accounting firm” and get his CPA.

Name: Abdisalan Ali

Age: 21

Lives: Lewiston

Married, relationship, single? Single

Important question first: Did you get to dress up as any costumed characters? No, I didn’t get to dress up, and I wasn’t disappointed because that was not the role I chose.

How’d you learn about the internship? I learned through an e-mail sent by my adviser.

What sort of work did you do? I was a dispatcher at Coronado Spring Resort. My job was to call bellmen if a guest needed help with their luggage, and I was in an information desk, helping the guest with any question they had.

Was there sitting-down-at-a-desk classwork, too? Yes, there was, and I took two courses while I was down there. I took Disney Organizational Leadership and Disney Experiential Learning Course.

How did that all help with your major, accounting? I believe taking those courses will shape my professional career, and I learned how to deal with people from different backgrounds working for such a diverse company.

Any perks to being a Disney intern? There are a lot of perks being a Disney intern. I went to the parks for free; I got discounts for most of the stores and souvenir shops. The most important thing is networking. I got to meet different leaders during the internship.

Leaders? What I mean by leaders is the managers of different departments, and it can be teachers as well. Like, one of my friends met with the general manager of Epcot. Another friend of mine met a manager from the Imagineering Department — they plan, create or design the cartoons, merchandise, etc. So we have a chance to meet with these great leaders, and they will give you a little background on how they became who they are.

What ride did you go on the most? Mission Space in Epcot was my favorite ride. It made me feel like I was in space and navigating the shuttle.

Something about Disney that might surprise people: Being an intern at Disney it was surprising to me that they get students from around the world. I never imagined that one day I would have friends or roommates from China or South Korea.

Would you recommend the experience to someone in college now? I would definitely recommend it for college students. Anyone who is an intern can build networking skills and keep the connections with the leaders they meet.

kskelton@sunjournal.com

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