Alumni Spotlight: Ashley Davidson ('19)

Why did you choose to study your particular major?

I chose to study Public Relations because I have always had a fascination with social media but knew there was more to it than just scrolling through platforms and using hashtags; I wanted to learn all the depths of PR. I also knew that in this day and age there would be more career opportunities within the Public Relations realm. I especially wanted to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.

Describe your career and relate how APU helped you succeed.

Since the beginning of January 2020, I have been participating in a seven month long internship with the Disneyland College Program where I have been placed to work operations (aka attractions) inside Disneyland California Adventure! My specific location is “Toy Story Midway Mania!” at Pixar Pier. During this internship, not only am I trained to operate a ride, but I am also required to attend a few seminars and classes pertaining to various fields and studies, all taught by Disney Professionals. The Disneyland College Program also offers a plethora of networking opportunities during this internship period as they highly encourage us to get connected with professionals around the company who have the potential to give us opportunities for growth in our respected career paths and a chance to one day be hired on full-time within the company. APU truly prepared me for such a time as this because I have never felt more prepared to apply what I have learned from lectures on resume building, interview tips, networking events and even lessons from Public Relations agency trips and my time studying abroad with the Communication Department to confidently and prayerfully pursue the next steps in my journey with The Walt Disney Company.

What was the most meaningful experience you had at APU?

I had several meaningful experiences at APU: studying abroad with the Communication Department, becoming an advocate for transfer students through my on-campus job with Communiversity, the countless office visits and conversations with professors, and of course the tight community of friends and peers I made during my time at APU have been the most impactful experiences of my entire life. I will never be able to fully express my gratitude to God for blessing me with the opportunity of a lifetime to attend APU. I am also eternally thankful for the professors and mentors who took the time to speak truth into my life, helping me discover more of my identity in Christ and to push me towards achieving goals both great and small.

How has your Christian-based college education impacted your career?

Having a Christian-based college education has made me more confident in my relationship with Christ and the understanding that He knows the desire of my heart and wants the best for me, that prayer is POWERFUL and can truly move mountains, and that I cannot live this life alone. I am in constant, desperate, need for God to guide me and my community to love and support me. As for the impact it has on my career: God is in ultimate control of my future. I have to trust Him with every ounce of my soul even when it’s hard. It’s all about saying “yes and amen” even when I can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. This life is not mine, it’s my creator God’s. He has my best intentions in mind. No matter what my wants and desires are, He will never fail me.

Please describe any charity or volunteer work you’ve done.

During my time at APU I volunteered twice with Mexico Outreach and I visited the same church (for children’s ministries) both years. At Disneyland, there’s a popular volunteer opportunity called VoluntEARS that I have recently signed up to work with (and am awaiting to hear about future events to join).

Is there anything that I’ve missed that you’d like to share about your career and how you got to where you are now?

I never thought I’d learn how to operate an attraction in Disneyland, but I have high hopes for the vast opportunity of connections I have in and around my position to excel in my career path. My ultimate goal by the end of my internship with The Walt Disney Company is to be offered a professional internship position (a step above the College Program) or a full-time job. Our program director asked us to think about some goals we would like to achieve during the next 7 months of our internship. For me, although they seem like long shots, my top goals are to shake the hand of the CEO of The Walt Disney Company, and meet the leadership team of the Disneyland Communication/Public Relations Department. It’s only week three of our program and I have already begun collecting emails and connecting on LinkedIn with some business professionals and instructors here. I feel pretty successful just doing that, so I’m excited to see where I end up and who I stay in contact with by the end of the program!

If you could give a word of advice to future and current students, what would it be?

Meet with your professors one-on-one. They have office hours for a reason: to get to know YOU! They truly will do anything and everything to help you achieve your goals! They want the best for you. Not only will professors be intentional with you, but so will campus pastors, student life offices, and even vice presidents. The entirety of the APU staff and leadership wants you to succeed. It’s on YOU to pursue those relationships with them!

Date: January 31, 2020