Chasing Disney Dreams
Kylee Withers (’16, ’17 M.B.A.) quite literally hit the ground running as a student athlete on the track and field team at the University of North Texas in the fall of 2012.
“It may sound silly, but I remember the day the pedestrian bridge over I-35 opened,” Kylee says. “It’s a simple piece of infrastructure, but it symbolized a new era for UNT and as a team we were so excited to be able to safely run into a whole new side of campus.”
And just as UNT’s campus was growing and changing, so were programs. Kylee completed both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the G. Brint Ryan College of Business within five years.
“Athletic scholarships played a huge part in making that possible,” she says. “Years later, I am better able to understand the profound impact that financial aid had on my life, and I will always be grateful to UNT Athletics and the coaching staff for giving me that opportunity.”
Kylee’s time at North Texas opened doors and expanded her worldview.
“UNT is such a special place because of Denton’s small-town charm juxtaposed with the fast-paced creative spirit of the student body at UNT,” Kylee says. “Being surrounded by people with different lived experiences than my own taught me the valuable lesson of finding connection to others through what we share, and that lesson has stayed with me far beyond my college years.”
And just as she found herself confidently pacing through life on campus, she hit a hurdle.
“I wouldn’t trade the experience I had for anything, but my journey wasn’t without setbacks,” she says. “My freshman year I got injured and had to redshirt both indoor and outdoor track seasons. At the time, it was devastating. But looking back, I can see that it created the opportunity for me to step away for a semester on the Disney College Program.”
Growing up on Disney movies and music, Kylee’s Disney dreams first came true when she visited Walt Disney World at age six with her aunt and uncle. Years later and the summer after her freshman year at UNT, she visited Disneyland with her best friend — a trip that connected her to her friend’s cousin, who worked in entertainment at Disneyland at the time.
And then she took a leap.
“After hearing stories and experiences from her cousin, I was inspired to go to a Disney College Program audition in Dallas during spring break of my sophomore year,” Kylee says. “From that audition, I was lucky enough to be selected as a character performer.”
From that moment on, the trajectory of Kylee’s life was forever changed.
“The Disney College Program redirected my path in life and led me to a place I now get to call home,” Kylee says. “It showed me that it’s possible to love where you work, what you do every day, and have a little bit of fun too.”
One day, sitting in the breakroom before her shift as a cast member with her North Texas labeled water bottle by her side, Kylee overheard a comment about “Mean” Joe Greene — a notable alumnus and star defensive lineman for North Texas in the late 1960s — that perked her ears up.
“I lit up with the mention of North Texas because it instantly felt like home,” she says. “From that comment, I started talking to fellow Disney cast member — now my husband, Colin.”
Colin grew up in Washington state and only knew about UNT and Joe Greene through his deep love of football.
“Although loving football isn’t what brought us together, it was all thanks to a North Texas water bottle — and working for Disney — that I met the love of my life.”
Kylee recently became a Walt Disney World Ambassador, a role that sees her working as an official spokesperson for the resort, sharing Disney stories and celebrating cast members.
“Stepping into the Ambassador role just as the Disney Ambassador Program celebrated its 60th anniversary fills me with so much gratitude for the legacy I get to carry forward,” she says. “What drives my work, especially in this role, is my curiosity and a desire to leave places better than how I found them.”
From North Texas to Disney, Kylee’s journey has taken unexpected and amazing turns, but her time at UNT remains at the core of who she is.
“UNT opens doors and pushes you to pursue your dreams, even when the odds feel stacked against you,” she says. “Just like Scrappy the Eagle, UNT students rise above and find a way.”