ANAHEIM : Disneyland Gives Lesson in Real Life

Mark Melo had never thought about the serious side of Disneyland until Wednesday, when he and 40 other high school seniors got a chance to look at the not-so-glamorous side of operating the 35-year-old amusement park.

For the last seven years, Disneyland has sponsored “Work Exposure,” a one-day program designed to introduce high school students to the real world of employment.

“I never knew so much went into operating the park,” said Melo, 16, a senior at Kennedy High School. “I’ve always had an interest in marketing, and being a part of this has shown me how broad an area marketing covers.”

Participants were chosen by the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce based on academic standings (none has less than a 3.5 average) and community activities. Applicants also were asked to name three Disneyland departments where they might be interested in working.

“We were really just interested in giving the students an opportunity to see what it is like to actually do the job they feel they might want to do,” said Lorine Schoeman, of Disneyland’s employee relations department.

Students met with Ron Dominguez, vice president of Disneyland, over breakfast before dispersing to 11 different departments in the complex.

“We choose students with high grades to reward them for their hard work and also match them with employees here who have shown exemplary work,” Schoeman said. “So we really are rewarding both of the people directly involved.”

Rene Bardeau, a photographer for 30 years with Disneyland, said, “I get real satisfaction from taking a student around for the day. I wish something like this was available when I was in school so I could have seen firsthand what it’s really like out here.”

Schoeman added that the “Work Exposure” program has been so successful that many of the students participating in the program have returned to work for Disneyland.