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Earlier this month, Shaylah Cooper joined 100 “Disney Dreamers” at Walt Disney World. She was picked from 10,000 applicants to spend four days in Orlando, Florida, thanks to the Disney Dreamers Academy.

While there, Cooper was mentored by a number of successful people, including Steve Harvey, representatives of ESSENCE magazine, the CEO of the Walt Disney Company, and NFL football player and TV personality Michael Strahan.

“This was a life-changing, once-in-a-lifetime dream come true for Shaylah,” said Cooper’s mother, Debra Randolph-Ross. Cooper is a high school student at Challenge Early College High School and will be receiving her associate’s degree concurrently with her high school diploma in May. She has been accepted at Spelman College and is currently weighing scholarship offers from University of Houston, Howard University, and Georgia State University.

The Disney trip included guest speakers, career workshops and activities, and networking opportunities. Walt Disney World created the academy in 2008 in partnership with Steve Harvey and ESSENCE magazine. Applications are accepted between July 1 and October 31.