Magic Man

Zach Bailey Turns a College Internship into Disney Career

There’s internships, and then there’s internships.

Zach Bailey ’14 had the latter back in 2012, when he spent a semester as an intern in the Disney College Program. That experience—one that included working with such enter-
tainment icons as George Lucas and J.K. Rowling (yes, that George Lucas and J.K. Rowling)—has launched a “magical” Disney career for Bailey since graduating with a business degree from Siena Heights. He is currently a park operations guest service manager with Hollywood Studios.

Bailey said he’s always wanted to work for Disney, and when he came to Siena Heights, he began to explore internship possibilities.

“I literally had no idea how to start that journey,” he said. “It’s an empire, so how do you even start to work for those guys?”

He discovered the Disney College Program, but learned that Siena Heights was not part of the program. Regardless, he drove to a nearby university to see a presentation about the program, and worked for the next year to try to make that happen.

Enter Matt Ripper. SHU’s assistant professor of Business Management worked to rewrite the business program’s internship program to help make that internship possible for Bailey.

Saints Athletics Highlights—Fall 2016

SHU Student-Athletes Excel in the Classroom

Siena Heights student-athletes earned an aggregate grade point average of 3.11 for the 2016 winter semester.
Leading the way was the women’s golf team with a 3.80 aggregate GPA. A total of 233 female student-athletes earned an aggregate GPA of 3.39.
A total of 353 male student-athletes earned an aggregate GPA of 2.92.

ALSO: The Saints softball team (above) took the top spot in the NAIA with a 3.72 team grade point average, according to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. In all divisions, Siena Heights was topped only by NCAA Division III Newbury (N.C.) College (3.77) and NCAA Division II Upper Iowa (3.764) for the overall collegiate high.

The Saints also had a collegiate-high 26 student-athletes honored as NFCA Scholar-Athletes for 2015-16. Saints honored were Kelsie Abbott, Lexi Agers, Ashley Best, Lauren Best, Hannah Bleikamp, Kayla Boland, Julie Bonk, Channing Brzys, Kelsey Cherry, Phoebe Cross, Paide Dean, Lesley Ducat, Hailey Fox, Ashley Helmink, Katie Hybl, Megan Jones, Tiffany Jones, Kelsey Lampkowski, Amy Nordstrom, Lindsay Postal, Jessica Sierak, Meghan Spagnoli, Stephanie Tylicki, Sydney Vernier, Kyndle Wolfinger and Hannah Yadon.

From the Editor:

Alumni, Keep Those Stories Coming!

I continue to be amazed at the alumni of Siena Heights University.

During the most recent Homecoming Weekend, I had a front row seat for both the alumni awards ceremony and the athletic hall of fame banquet. Those who were honored had some astounding stories to tell.

Katie Guilbault Decker, ’89 was honored with an alumni award for her work in transforming a struggling inner-city school in Las Vegas into one of the most successful in Nevada. In her acceptance speech, she talked about how the Adrian Dominicans made her Siena Heights education happen. Not able to afford the tuition, she spoke through tears about how the Adrian Dominicans stepped in and paid for her tuition, allowing her to earn her degree in teacher education, and go on to become the award-winning principal she is today.

Then there’s the story of small-town boy Adam Hartle ’06. A promising pole vaulter from the tiny farm town of Homer, Mich., he was garnering some Division I attention before he suffered a broken back. After doctors advised him that he should never compete again, most of the schools who were recruiting him left the picture. Not Siena Heights. Again, through a tearful Hall-of-Fame acceptance speech, Hartle talked about how Siena Heights and coaches Tim Bauer and Mark Dooley believed in him. The payoff: Hartle went on to become a national champion pole vaulter for the Saints. And most importantly, he earned his degree and is a successful and productive member of society.