Me participating in the DCP has actually been years in the making. I remember seeing a poster in my high school advertising the program. I looked into it briefly but I knew the timing wasn't right. I was going up to Southern Utah University as a chemistry major. I was one school year away from serving my LDS mission. Applying for the program then just didn't seem logical. I did, however, attend a recruiting presentation and learned more about the application process.
After a year at SUU, I was called to serve in the California Ventura Mission for the LDS church. For the following two years, I frequently told people that I was going to participate in the DCP. Upon returning home, my plans changed once again. I ended up changing my major to elementary education. I began to get my generals finished as quickly as possible so that I could apply for the elementary education program. In the spring, I applied and was accepted into the coming fall's cohort. I was so excited.
About half way through my first semester in the elementary education program at Dixie State College, I received an email from the people at the DCP inviting me to apply for the coming semester. I looked at the website and saw that there was an audition for character performers up in Salt Lake City coming up. I decided almost immediately that I would go up and audition. I went through the application process like everyone else. I was so nervous for my phone interview. The lady who interviewed me was super chill. She asked me why I wanted to do the program and why I'd be good at some of the positions I applied for.
That weekend, I went up to Salt Lake City for the character performer audition. Boy that thing was NOT what I was expecting!! The dance was a bit more technical than what I had imagined. They spent about 45 minutes teaching us the dance and then they called us in five at a time. Well I was number 90 so I had quite a while before it was my turn. I practiced and practiced and practiced that dance over and over and over again. I thought I had it down pretty good. Then it was my turn to perform. I made it through the first third of the dance then I completely blanked! I was so upset! I worked so hard and completely botched that one time opportunity.
Something good did come out of the audition. I met two incredible girls, Chelsea and Sabrina. They had already been accepted into the program and were planning on starting at the beginning of February. We hit it off instantly and became pretty good friends right away. They are fun, crazy, and energetic. All I could think of was that I hoped I got accepted just so I could spend a semester getting to know them.
After the audition, it was just the waiting game. I was told during the phone interview that it would probably be three to four weeks before I found out. I just tried to stay busy and keep my mind off of it but all of my friends kept asking my how the audition went and other similar questions. My next worry was being able to receive a deferment from the elementary education department. I was worried that the DCP wasn't going to be a good enough reason to receive a deferment. I finally got the guts to the dean, Dr. Sabey. She had a very positive reaction. She said it would be a great opportunity for me to gain some good experience and skills. She mentioned that I still needed to follow the deferment application procedures but she couldn't see me having any trouble getting it approved.
With that burden off my shoulders, I went home pretty excited. Everything seemed to be falling into place. When I got home and opened my email inbox, I found an email telling me that I had been accepted to the DCP as an attractions cast member. I was screaming and yelling and jumping up and down. I didn't care that it didn't say character performer or hospitality, I was just glad that I got in. I couldn't wait to tell the world. I called my parents. I posted it on Facebook. I sent texts to nearly all of my contacts. I also called my good friend from the education department, Amberlie. I had been giving her the updates as I went through the application process. She was pretty jealous because the DCP is something that she has always wanted to do. Later that day, I got a text from Amberlie saying that she was watching the e-presentation and seriously thinking about applying herself. My experience with the e-presentation has been that it makes you want to participate even more. I think it was the next day that I found out that Amberlie had actually applied. I was pretty stoked because it meant that there was the possibility that I wouldn't be going alone. From then on, it was her turn to keep me posted. We talked a lot of "What if's" and "When we go's." We discussed our phone interviews. We even planned possible itineraries for if we had the chance to drive out there to Florida. Amberlie's younger sister actually applied as well. A little over a week later, we found out that Amberlie was also accepted as a Main Entrance Operations cast member. We have yet to hear about Janessa, Amberlie's sister. Janessa is only eighteen so I think that has something to do with it.
My boss's wife so that I was accepted on Facebook. For that reason, my boss, Don, found out. I was kind of nervous to break the news to him because it obviously meant that I would be leaving the Comfort Suites. Don seemed pretty sad. At the same time, he was pretty excited for me to have this experience. I told him that I didn't expect him to hold on to my job for me. He did say that he would do whatever he could to give me my job back when I returned in August. How amazing is that?! Everything has really been falling into place for me to do this.
My parents are getting and more used to the idea of me going. They weren't sold at first. I'm trying to convince them to come visit me. I think it would be so fun to share some of my experience with them.
