Polk State Lakeland Collegiate student selected for Disney Dreamers Academy

Polk State Lakeland Collegiate High School junior Alana Coombs is one of only 100 students nationwide who recently participated in the prestigious Disney Dreamers Academy.

The four-day leadership and mentoring program is hosted at Walt Disney World in Orlando, where Coombs made powerful connections with peers and learned about a variety of career opportunities.

Coombs, who aspires to become a lawyer, said the opportunity aligned perfectly with her long-standing love for Disney and her future goals.

“We got to tour different careers, we learned soft skills and we also got to explore Disney parks with our fellow dreamers and learn from mentors in different industries from around the country,” Coombs shared. “I got to build confidence and learn other key skills that put me one step closer to accomplishing my dreams.”

She was selected from thousands of applicants across the U.S. She credits much of her preparation and success to her experience at Polk State Lakeland Collegiate High School, where she was a proud member of the first sophomore class and is now finishing up her junior year.

Polk State’s three charter high schools allow students to work on their requirements for their high school diplomas while also taking college-credit courses at no cost to them. Most students graduate with their associate degrees.

“Lakeland Collegiate helped give me the foundational skills I needed to get into [the program],” Coombs said. “I’m so glad that I came to this school because the faculty, the students and the staff – they are all amazing and they work on pushing the students forward so that they can achieve their dreams.”

At the Disney Dreamers Academy, Coombs enjoyed connecting with peers from across the country and exploring the parks with them. She also noted their final day as a particularly special moment.

“The energy in the room was electric,” she said. “You just feel the liveliness of everyone thinking, ‘What are we going to learn? How will we shape as people? And how will we meet, manage and maximize the moments?’”

Coombs plans to complete her Associate in Arts degree, maintain a high GPA and go on to a four-year university after graduation in 2027.