From Class to Disney Internships: A Full Circle Moment 

For many of our engineering students, landing a competitive internship is a huge milestone. For Michael Olsingch, that milestone became something larger than life. It became an opportunity to work with Disney in a role connected to robotics, ride operations, and maintenance, bringing him one step closer to a lifelong dream of becoming a Disney Imagineer.

Two Animated Brothers That Inspired 

Dreams always start somewhere, for Michael he found himself inspired by the popular Disney animated TV show “Phineas and Ferb”. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s a tale of two brothers who frequently invent wacky tools and machines that take them to adventures all across the Tri-State area. From there Michael knew that a career in engineering was in his future, and not just any career in engineering, he knew Disney was the end goal. 

“In middle school I watched a lot of ‘Phineas and Ferb’, and that’s what really got me into it,” he explained. “The real reason I wanted to do this is because I knew I wanted to be a Disney Imagineer. It’s really the only reason I stuck with it.”

Seven Interviews Later (Yeesh!) 

After navigating a rigorous interview process that included seven interviews over the course of a month and a half, Michael learned he had earned the exact role he hoped for.

“I just checked out their program's website, and it’s not often that they have internships for the program I’m interested in,” he said. “After I did all my interviews, I found out my role is the robotics and ride operations and maintenance role, which is the role I really wanted.”

More than an Engineer

Michael knew that Disney didn’t just want someone skilled in Mechatronics, they needed someone with that extra pep in their step and outstanding people skills. Thankfully his involvement on-campus with things like the Utah Tech Student Association came to save the day. 

“One thing Disney said they were looking for is well rounded people, and I feel like Utah Tech set me up for that,” Michael said. “Utah Tech gave me so many opportunities to be involved on campus. They saw me as more than just an engineer, they saw me as someone who puts myself out there.” 

To the Engineers of the Future… 

Now preparing for the experience ahead, Michael hopes to encourage other future engineers who may be facing difficult moments in their own academic journeys. 

“My advice is just, never let a hard day get you down,” Michael said. “There are times where it will feel like you are doing too much, keep going it always gets better. Failure is how you learn, as they say in ‘Meet The Robinsons’, keep moving forward. Go out there, branch out, that's one of the reasons I got this interview, don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. Be more than just an engineer.”