It’s safe to say that Emily (Tarter) Brower loves Disney. As a child, she went to Disney World and Disneyland several times. Emily’s chance to be a part of the magic, however, happened while she was at McAuley Catholic. During her junior year, Emily’s cheer team received the chance to participate in Disney World’s Christmas Day Parade. This once-in-a-lifetime experience had a deep impact on Emily.
After graduating from McAuley in 2013, Emily studied at Pittsburg State University before transferring to Missouri Southern State University. She was the first person at Southern to participate in the Disney College Program, a 5–7-month program that allows students to get hands-on career experience at Disney while continuing to work towards their degree. Emily enrolled in Disney’s “college” located behind the Magic Kingdom Park.
During her two years at Disney, Emily interned in different departments, and eventually assumed the role of Fairy Godmother in training. She was able to create Disney magic for hundreds of children at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique – where boys and girls can be transformed into princesses and knights.
After her internship, Emily continues to spread Disney magic by being a travel agent for MickeyTravels, as well as authoring a Disney blog and Instagram account. She hopes to soon take over as the Director of the Disney college program advisor at Missouri Southern, where she currently works in the Project Stay department.
Emily credits much of her success to her time at McAuley Catholic. Being part of different activities like sports, theater, and different choirs helped prepare her for her work with Disney.
“At any other school, I would not have the same opportunities that I did while being at McAuley,” Emily said. “Some of my classmates and I are still close today, as well as some faculty and staff that were at McAuley when I attended school. I owe a lot of my success and where I am in life to the JACS system.”
Emily met her husband, Jesse, while in the play Hairspray together, and they worked at Disney together. In addition to her role with MickeyTravels, Emily currently works at MSSU in the Project Stay department, and she owns a small business – The Picnic Planner and Events – with her husband.
If someone wants to follow their dreams, Emily tells them to dare to be different. “Anything is possible if you have faith and trust (with a little bit of pixie dust)! Never be afraid to chase your dreams! There is a whole world out there to explore but always remember your faith and what you’ve learned from the church.”