7th Grade Honorable Mention - Walt Disney

The most surprising thing about the 2011 Kylie Klein Writing Competition? The sheer number of students who wanted to meet Walt Disney! Easily 25% of the essay's I received were about Walt Disney! I am still shocked! This essay is the best of the best. Great job Sarah.

Sarah W
West Point Jr. High
7th Grade

Walt Disney: A Truly Magical Man

If I could meet anyone in the world, from any country, during any time period, it would be Walter Elias Disney. I want to meet Walt Disney because has made a great impact on society, not only in his day, but in today’s society. He was always optimistic and he never gave up, even when he was told that he would never make it. Walt will forever be known for his amazing imagination and his ability to be so positive and creative. I would want to meet Walter Disney not only because he was optimistic, but he certainly created a way for others to enjoy a magical place and looked for a way to make the future look brighter for others. Walt Disney loved history and the world around him. He had a wonderful imagination and he would never let anyone change that. He was very passionate about what he did. I think it would be cool to meet someone that loves their job as much as he did. He was not just an artist or entertainer. He was someone who really loved the world and history, and put his talents together to create a place that would greatly influenced the world even to this day.

I would want Walt Disney to feel comfortable so I would insist that we meet at Disneyland. Disneyland is important to Walt Disney because he created this theme park to be one of the first places to go with your family and to just have a blast. Disneyland and Disneyworld are magical places to visit. They are full of fantastic, whimsical characters and rides that Walt created. It is known to be called “The happiest place on earth!” It would be neat to be able to meet him in the place that he created and to be able to talk to him and see what his inspiration was behind all his amazing creations, such as Mickey Mouse and all of his other whimsical creatures. I would want to meet at the place he created and loved. He has made millions and millions of American dreams come true at Disneyland and Disneyworld. It is such a wonderful place to be!

The first question I would ask Walter Disney is what his inspiration was behind all his creations such as Mickey Mouse and Disney World. I would ask this question because all his creations were and still are very creative and magical. They made many people in the world happy and optimistic because of the imagination and creativity behind them. I would want to know if anyone in his life inspired him and how he felt about the impact he has had on society. The second question I would ask is what his childhood and family was like.

I would like Walt Disney to know how his life, or one of his decisions, or how one of his posterity changed history. Walt Disney has impacted many lives of not only the community but the whole world. Many of his decisions and creations have influenced millions of people to have a dream and then share that dream with others. The way Walt Disney has lived his life has greatly inspired many people around the world, including me. He is inspiring to me because he has such a great imagination. Even though he was told “no” in his career, he never gave up and always kept doing what he loved to do, which was to make people smile by using his imagination.

He not only had a love for creating and sketching characters, he was inspirational because he connected history with technology to create a better future. He was innovational and inspirational. His decision to create Disney World has greatly impacted many peoples’ lives. It has created so many family memories around the world. Walt Disney captures the fun and really brings out the kid in everyone! Family and community was a great part in Walt’s life. He represented imagination, optimism, creativity, and will forever be remembered for all the great and wonderful things he accomplished. He was a wonderful man that greatly influenced society, and it would be a privilege to be able to meet Walter Elias Disney.