Earlier this month, Disney hosted a series of virtual career sessions exclusively for HBCU
students led by Kristi Breen, vice president of Disney International and Campus Programs and Disney Cruise Line Recruitment, along with Avis Lewis, vice president, Human Resources, Walt Disney Imagineering and Consumer Products, Games and PublishingThe sessions, which aimed to educate Black students about possible
career opportunities within the company, were a part of a larger effort assembled by an internal strategy taskforce targeting HBCUs. The goal of the new group is to create a pipeline that helps students from historically Black colleges and universities advance within the company. The company is looking to create career treks for students at various institutions including Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Howard University in Washington, D.C., North Carolina A&T State University, and Hampton University in Virginia.Courtnee Collier who serves as Disney’s influencer communications manager, says it was important for her to advocate for the initiative to help more students like herself gain access to these career treks to help them advance in their own pursuits, knowing firsthand how important opportunities like these are for HBCU students.
“I was in these students’ shoes not long ago, and I feel like I would have benefitted from a conversation like this to understand the power of networking while interning, and how it is such a huge part of our career journeys. I am truly proud and grateful that Disney is taking
this step to strengthen its relationships with HBCUs,” wrote Collier in a company blog post.“Disney employees from all over the company will have the opportunity to support HBCU engagement in multiple ways, from volunteering to participating in mentorship opportunities and recruitment efforts, and more. This activation is just one of many ongoing sessions scheduled throughout the year.”