Steve Harvey, Essence Magazine and Disney Inspire Future Leaders at Disney Dreamers Academy

From March 5-8, 2015, 100 select high school students from around the country gathered in Orlando, Florida for the annual Disney Dreamers Academy (DDA).

Held on the grounds of Walt Disney World by Disney, Steve Harvey and Essence magazine, industry power players in entertainment, education, journalism, culinary arts and more came to speak to the young leaders about recognizing the power of their dreams.

With nearly 10,000 students applying to this year’s program in hopes of making it to the final round, the selected 100 students came from various backgrounds across the country with hopes of gaining the tools and knowledge needed to make their career dreams a reality.

With celebrities such as Bishop T.D. Jakes, Lamman Rucker, Terrence J, Rocsi Diaz, Michael Strahan, Steve Perry and more speaking to the young audience about their career and life journey, both the students and their parents left the program with a new outlook on what it means to be a dreamer.

Keep reading to see photos and highlights from the awe-inspiring weekend.

(Images: Todd Anderson for Disney)