LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (October 24, 2024) – An Orlando-area high school student, who has worked hard to achieve her academic dreams while providing support for her family, got some good news Thursday at the HBCU Week Foundation College Fair at Walt Disney World Resort – she’s going to college!

In a surprise moment, Evans High School senior Beth Elia was awarded on-the-spot college acceptance and a $50,000 scholarship to Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) in nearby Daytona Beach. Making the moment even more magical, she was congratulated by Walt Disney World Resort President Jeff Vahle as well as Disney on the Yard executives and actor Anthony Anderson, star of the ABC hit comedy “black-ish’’ and an HBCU graduate (Howard University) at the college fair for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

Elia, a student ambassador with ELEVATE Orlando, maintains a 4.3 GPA and will be the first person in her immediate family to attend college. She plans to study criminology in hopes of becoming an FBI agent, all while supporting her mother who has grappled with significant health challenges and ongoing medical expenses in recent years. Elia hopes her college journey will inspire her younger siblings to pursue higher education and follow their own career dreams.

Elia was among the more than 5,000 students, the majority from Central Florida, the Southeast and beyond, who attended the college fair Thursday along with representatives from 35 HBCUs. It was an energetic event featuring music, a DJ and a performance by Drum Major Mickey Mouse.

It was the second time Walt Disney World Resort has hosted the HBCU Week Foundation College Fair. Disney was the host site in 2022, where more than $11 million in scholarships was awarded.

Walt Disney World’s support of the HBCU Week Foundation College Fair is part of an ongoing collaboration between the foundation and Disney on the Yard, an initiative focused on deepening Disney’s engagement with HBCUs. By working closely with HBCUs, Disney aims to continue building a long-term hiring pipeline for HBCU graduates through the development of student internships, mentorship opportunities, career and employee spotlights, scholarships and more.

For more details about the HBCU Week Foundation, visit www.HBCUWeek.org. To learn more about Disney on the Yard, visit https://sites.disney.com/disneycareers/disney-on-the-yard/.