ITC goes behind the scenes at the new Disney housing complex!

Flamingo Crossings Village comes complete with pools, basketball courts, and so much more.

One of the many exciting possibilities for ITC graduates is heading overseas on an International Exchange Program. Of course, the Disney Exchange Program is one of the most popular!

This program is only available to preferred providers like ITC, so many of our students are driven enough to get positions in this world-famous tourism attraction.

One important aspect of heading to Disney to live and work is the actual housing complex our graduates stay in. And lucky for us, we’ve got someone behind the scenes who has recently been part of planning a new housing complex, and who has had the chance to check it out in person!

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Meet Mya: The ITC student living out her dreams at Disney!

Mya at Disney!

In October last year, we interviewed a student with her sights set on the Disney Cultural Exchange Program. At the time, Mya Jorna was finishing up an ITC course and hoping to be accepted into the program.

The Bream Bay College graduate attended an Adventure Short Course through school at ITC, where she learnt about the amazing opportunity to study tourism in Northland and wanted to one day work for Disney in Orlando Florida. Mya worked hard to graduate with her tourism and travel qualifications and with the support from ITC, applied for her place at Disney in January 2024.

And now, she’s living out that dream!

We couldn’t wait to hear about her adventures and how it’s all going, so here’s a little more about the program and her time at Disney.

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Meet the student with her eye on the Disney Cultural Exchange Program!

Mya gets into the spirit of Disney at ITC.

ITC students come from all over New Zealand, and have all sorts of dreams.

Mya Jorna came to us from Bream Bay College, where she did an Adventure Short Course. After that, she enrolled at our Whangarei Campus for the Level 3 and 4 Certificates in Tourism. Now, she’s eyeing up the Disney Cultural Exchange Program and all the amazing adventures and opportunities that come with it.

Here’s our quick interview to learn more about Mya’s journey so far!

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Frederick Corbett: The ITC graduate who just left for the Disney Exchange Program!

ITC graduate Freddie Corbett has recently left NZ to start his Disney Exchange Program.

It’s been an exciting year as we have caught up with a number of ITC graduates who went through the Disney Exchange Program. Now, things are about to get even more exciting as we cheer on the students who have been accepted into this year’s August intake.  

We’ve already spoken to Bea Terreblanche, who has already left NZ on her grand Disney adventure. Now we’re excited to announce that her fellow ITC graduate Frederick Corbett has also ventured off to Disney.

Of course, we had to catch up with him to see how he’s feeling about the program! (more…)

ITC graduate and Disney alumni Shania Wheatley shares her wisdom and advice

We catch up with graduate and Disney alumni Shania to hear her advice for students looking to follow in her footsteps.

Shania Wheatley is an ITC graduate who moved to Auckland to study with us in 2016 and never looked back.

She landed a job in 2017 and was accepted into the Disney Exchange Program, and like many young graduates in the last few years, the pandemic threw a spanner in the works – but her positive attitude and hard work saw her come out on top.

As we lead up to this year’s Disney Exchange Program, we thought now would be a great time to catch up again and ask about her time with Disney, and if she has any advice for new students.

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Catching up with Tobius Charnley: The Disney alumni who is now working in his dream role!

We catch up with Tobius Charnley, a Disney alum who landed his dream role.

In 2015, Tobius Charnley won a scholarship to ITC, and later that same year, he was one of just three students to be selected for the Disney Exchange Program.

Tobius clearly had a bright future ahead of him, which is why it was no surprise (but a great cause for celebration!) when he landed his dream role with Air New Zealand.

As we lead up to our August Disney Exchange intake, we thought now would be a great time to touch base with Tobius, see how he’s doing, and find out more about his experiences with the program.

And he got back to us during his down time on a trip to Houston!

Here’s what he had to say, and his advice for students.

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Adventures after Disney: Meet Amina Tipuna

Hear from our latest graduate in our ‘Adventures after Disney’ series!

The August intake for the Disney Exchange Program is fast approaching as we continue our ‘Adventures after Disney’ series, where we chat to ITC graduates who were part of the program to see what they’re up to now.

This week, we heard from Amina Tipuna, the graduate who feels that the experience changed her a lot, helping her gain independence and preparing her for adulthood.

Here’s more about Amina’s amazing story in her own words!

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Catching up with student-turned-tutor Laura, who is also a Disney Alumni!

Laura Osbourn has had quite the journey, starting as a student, earning a place in the Disney Exchange Program, and now a tutor!

Back in 2018, we spoke to a graduate who had returned to ITC to complete her level 5 Diploma with the intention of joining the Disney Exchange Program.

She made it to Disney, but the pandemic threw a spanner in the works and she had to return to New Zealand – so we interviewed her again in 2020!

However, that wasn’t the end of her story. After many ups and downs and a lot of hard work, Laura Osbourn returned to ITC again, but this time as a tutor.

As we continue with our ongoing ‘Adventures after Disney’ series, we felt it was a great opportunity to interview someone who has not just successfully applied for the Disney Program, but someone who will also be helping current students prepare for their applications as well.

With that said, here’s the latest updates on graduate, Disney alumni, and tutor Laura Osbourn!

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How the Disney Cultural Exchange helped this graduate find her confidence and her future career

Taylor Still had an unforgettable time with the Disney Exchange Program.

Recently, we’ve been catching up with ITC graduates who were accepted into the Disney Cultural Exchange Program.

This is a fantastic opportunity where students can head overseas and work in various roles for this world-renowned brand, earning valuable work experience, meeting people from around the world, and enjoying a huge international adventure all at once.

But what happens next?

In the lead-up to the next Disney intake, we’ve been checking in with graduates who took up this opportunity in a series we’re calling ‘Adventures after Disney’.

Today, we’re sharing our interview with Taylor Still, who was part of the 2018 program. Read on to learn more about her story, and what she’s been up to since! (more…)

Catching up with a 2018 Disney Exchange Program alumni

Aunima went to work at Disney in the 2018 Exchange Program. Learn what she has been up to since!

In 2018, Aunima Haque was one of a number of ITC graduates who was accepted into the prestigious Disney Exchange Program.

This exchange invites young graduates to work in a number of roles at Disney, where they earn valuable skills and experience. Many students use this time as a launching pad for a career in tourism in travel, which is why we have been catching up with some of them.

We’re looking forward to the next Disney intake this year, and leading up to it with a campaign called ‘Adventures after Disney’. Last week we spoke to Emma Morris, and this week we have a new graduate to interview!

This week, we chatted to the lovely Aunima Haque. Here’s what she had to say about her time at ITC and Disney, and what she’s been up to since!

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