Disney Dreamers Academy Class of 2024: Sophia Halm’s passion for STEM and service
Thousands of students apply for admission into the annual Disney Dreamers Academy at Walt Disney World. Only 100 are admitted and this year, Sophia Halm is one of them.
"I am a junior at Columbia High School, with a passion for STEM and service," the 16-year-old wrote in her application essay, adding, "My dream is to further encourage intersectional engineering through community service and social work. I hope to become an aerospace engineer and continue to advance STEM in underrepresented communities."
Beyond her academic focus on STEM -- science, technology, engineering and mathematics -- Halm is on her school's lacrosse team, plays cello for the orchestra, competes on the debate and math teams, tutors, cheerleads and is a Girl Scout.
"She just does a lot. And I'm not always quite sure how she manages to do it," her mother, Cynthia Halm, says.
Sophia Halm comes from a family of Disney Dreamers. Her older sister Alexis is an alum of the program.
Making a difference in the community is a family value, with Sofia's mother noting that her daughter is often one of the few students of color in advanced classes.
"You have very few people who look like her ... and that's an issue and that's a problem. And if she can encourage others, 'Don't be afraid of the class, take it,' you know, 'Dream big, do more.'"
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, "Good Morning America" featured Halm as a representative of the Disney Dreamers Academy class of 2024, surprising her with tickets for her family to attend the Broadway production of "Hamilton."
Sophia Halm exemplifies the dreamers that attend the Disney Dreamers Academy, an all-expenses-paid four-day mentorship program at the Walt Disney World Resort, just outside Orlando, Florida.
Now in its 17th year, the Academy was created to inspire teens from Black and underrepresented communities to "dream beyond their wildest imaginations," according to a spokesperson.
Only 100 students are selected from thousands of applicants.
In workshops and seminars, the students engage with business leaders, Disney executives, celebrities and educators.
The program is designed to impart skills that will help young people realize their dreams, including communication, leadership and networking. To learn more, visit here.
Disney is the parent company of ABC News and "Good Morning America."
