Encouragement from Career Development Center helps Thomas find the magic

When Sanaa Thomas first walked into Tracey Hanton’s Career Development Center office last spring, she needed an encouraging nudge. Thomas ended up with a shove forward that provided her a life-changing experience.

Almost a year later, Thomas is now a junior, but she’s nothing like the person she was. After spending six months working at Disney World, as she says, “I went from being a quiet girl into becoming a more confident outgoing woman.”

After applying and failing to receive a spot on Disney’s roster as a freshman, the psychology major was reluctant to try again. Even after receiving notice she’d been accepted into the six-month Disney College Program, Thomas was tentative about whether she was going. 

“It only takes a little bit sometimes to help,” Thomas said. “Although I heard from my mom and some others that it would be a great opportunity, I needed that one extra person to push me over the edge to where I knew it was the right thing to do. I just wanted to hear it from one person whom I did not know, and that helped a lot. She encouraged me and helped me make my decision.”

As an associate director of the Career Development Center, Hanton’s job is inspiring students to find something bigger for their future. The Career Development Center holds more than 40 classroom presentations annually and provides workshops and career fairs to encourage students to step outside their comfort zones. There are more benefits the earlier a student starts, Hanton said.

Hanton told Thomas she absolutely must go for the opportunity. Normally, Thomas said, she would have over-thought or psyched herself out on the opportunity, especially since it was outside her comfort zone. Despite considering it a huge risk, she pressed ahead anyway.

For half a year, Thomas was a seater, greeter, milk maker, and whatever else was needed while working at the Black Spire Outpost in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The back story, which Thomas came up with herself, was that she owed the business owner Oga money after Wookiees overran her village and took all her money.

All of this required a costume and a week of training. Besides taking 15 credits of classes remotely, Thomas spent time with her father, stepmother, and 7-year-old brother who live in Orlando, in addition to making some life-long best friends.

Thomas also found who she is, who she wants to be, and how to go after it. Thomas wants a career as a behavioral technician working with autistic children in a hospital setting.

“Disney helped me solidify my career because of all the children I met,” Thomas said. “Some had autism, some were deaf, some were just different, and that variety helped me know that I wanted to study children in general. The psychology helped shape who I am personally, as well. I got way more than I expected.

“I can’t even picture myself from before because I’m so different now. I see pictures popping up on my feed from back then, and I can’t even see myself as being that way. Now I’m just full of self-growth and magic. It changed who I was and who I want to become in my life.”

Thomas returned to PFW as a different person, something Hanton noticed immediately.

“Sanaa had an incredible experience at Disney, and the growth from the day she came into my office and how she is now is very evident,” Hanton said. “And exciting to see. I really did shed a few tears at what she said. I am glad that I was able to be a part of her journey in a positive way. She was a bit shy and unsure of herself, but you can see that she has come out of her shell quite a bit.”

Among the first things Thomas did was to show her appreciation to Hanton with the gift of a pin.

“She was my magic before I became a magic maker,” Thomas said.