Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

Sorry about that depressing last post.

I go back and forth about my feelings on this program.

I am excited, I really am.

I realize that thousands of people apply, and few are accepted.

I know that painfully well, 

That fact is what made accepting my offer so difficult.

But I've accepted,

and I'm starting to get my stuff in order to make the move.

I'm adjusting to the fact that I'm not Mickey Mouse anymore.

I'm trying to figure out what to do with the roommate situation.

Last program,

I had banked on living with my best friend,

but due to different universities,

I ended up living with 7 complete strangers.

I now count those strangers as dear friends.

So do I go alone again,

and hope for a great bunch of roommates?

That seems to be the million dollar question here.

~Courtney

Disney

I know it's been a while since I last talked about the College Program.
It's been a rough go, guys.

The first time I applied, it was full of smiles, laughter and luck.
My character audition was awesome,
I landed a dream role,
I went with my best friend,
and it was the easiest decision I had ever made.

I've been accepted to the Fall Advantage 2014 program,
But it has not been an easy decision whatsoever.

So far, this experience has been 100% opposite from last time.
My audition was crap,
My role is attractions,
My best friend is not going,
And I don't know what to do about housing.

If you ask me how I feel about this in a few days, heck, even a few hours, I'll tell you I'm excited.

But right here, right now?
I'm more worried than excited.

~Courtney

New Address

When change comes in my life, it comes fast.
No news on the College Program yet, so don't go getting excited.

Dana left for Peru on Wednesday
And I moved out of my apartment today.

Even though I have a very nice home to stay in for the next week,
I still feel homeless.

Feeling homeless is a really terrible feeling.

My family drove down this afternoon with a Uhaul to clear out my house,
and then I spent the rest of the day cleaning.
Locking the door behind me was so sad!
I didn't know what to do with myself for a few minutes.
I just sort of… stood outside my door feeling very upset.

I love adventure.
I dislike change.

There's a part of me that's hoping my apartment is still full of my furniture and I can go back to my desk and do some homework.
But the reality is, I'm sitting at the institute (alone, may I add) and I'm eating McDonalds because I don't have any pots or pans to cook with anymore.

Pity me.
~Courtney

{Arequipa Peru}

My little sister decided to be a full-time missionary last year.

Today, she flew to Peru to start that mission.

I wasn't able to see her off at the airport, because I had a test and presentation in class. 

But I sent her with a letter to read on the airplane instead…

and boy was it long-winded. 

But I hope it was a positive start to her mission.

So for the next 18 months,

She will spend her time teaching the gospel,

and I will spend my time missing her dearly.

DCP Process- phone interview

Well, I just got off the phone with Brandon, my Disney interviewer. It's always such a confusing moment right after you hang up. You start to wonder if you did well, if they liked you, what you could have done better. It's stressful! But thankfully it is 100% out of my hands now. I'm at peace knowing I tried, and the rest is up to Heavenly Father and Disney.

The interview lasted 20 minutes exactly. The guy spoke so quickly I almost had a hard time matching his energy. He asked questions about why I wanted to do another program, my work experience, my ability to get things done on time, and a few other things. I answered them easily, and used a lot of nursing school examples. I will be honest, I paced through my entire apartment, I just could not sit still! He explained the logistics of the application, wished me luck, and we hung up. 

The only unsettling thing about the interview was every time I answered his question, there would be this long pause, followed by an "okay" that almost sounded forced… I'm probably overanalyzing this already.

So now I wait for my email from Disney, which will lead me to select an arrival date, or end my application process. Good luck to everyone applying!

~Courtney

DCP Process- schedule a phone interview

On Friday night, around 11 PM, I got my Schedule Your Phone Interview email, but I was way too tired to even look at the details. I waited until Saturday morning at work to open the email, and I followed the link to the scheduling page. Boy, waiting was a BAD IDEA! There were two days  out of an entire month that still had interview openings! Geeze! 

I picked this Thursday for my interview, and I had the option of 7:00 AM, a bunch of slots during class time, and then the next opening was 7:45 PM. So I begrudgingly took that slot and signed myself up for a day full of anxiety and impatient thoughts. I have to wait until practically my bedtime to do my interview! (Don't judge my sleeping habits… I'm a nursing student… sleep is precious)

So ladies and gentleman, learn from me. When you get the scheduling email, open it right then and pick a time! You'll thank me when you have a plethora of dates and times to pick from.

In sad news, my best friend, Leslie, did not make it past the online interview, so if I make it into the program, I will be going alone. This has put quite a damper on my overview of his experience, because I was so looking forward to our adventures together back in Florida.

I hate curveballs sometimes.

~Courtney

DCP Process- Online Interview

I know I posted earlier this morning.
I just got an email asking me to do the online interview,
so I did!
Funny thing is the exact same thing happened last time I applied.
I turned in my application, and did the online interview in the same day.

So the online interview is all about your personality.
It asks about personality type, things you value in a school, your work ethic, and your values.
It's just a lot of question reading and answering.
point, click, point click.

And the nice part is, at the very end of the interview, it tells you wether or not you are a good candidate. If the computer decides you aren't a good match for the program, it tells you right there, and you stop the application process. If you're a good match, you get the following message on the screen:

Congratulations - you have been identified as a strong candidate! Your next step is to schedule a phone interview. You will have the ability to schedule your interview appointment in approximately 24 hours.

I have heard there are two different types of candidates: strong, and good. I don't know if this is actually true or not, because with both applications I've been a strong candidate, and I've never met anyone who said they were a good candidate. But the rumor continues.

Now I will wait to schedule my phone interview, where they suggest you use a landline and a quiet place. Unfortunately I don't have a landline, but I certainly have that quiet place! Wish me luck!

~Courtney