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Taking His Dream to the Big Disney Stage

Husain Abd'Allah, one of 100 kids chosen to attend the Disney Dreamers Academy, wants to be the next big media mogul.

Husain Abd’Allah has been excited about going to the Disney Dreamers Academy since last year. However, he wasn’t celebrating for himself, but for his older sister, Zahra, who was a part of the 2012 class.
Husain, who's in the ninth grade, begged his mom to let him come along on the trip, but his mother, Allene, stressed the fact that he had to earn his spot at Disney World first.

So shortly after, Husain took it upon himself to study each of the mentors and figure out how he could write himself into the next class of the academy.
Hosted by Steve Harvey and Essence magazine, the Disney Dreamers Academy, which starts Thursday, is a four-day workshop for teens at the Walt Disney World Resort. The students — or Dreamers — are motivated and inspired by a host of entertainers and motivational speakers, including Terrence J, Yolanda Adams and Chef Jeff Henderson.

“I hope to learn the keys to success to be a multimedia mogul,” says Husain, who is 14. “I decided that I want to take over it all.”

Husain and his sister Zahra are both homeschooled in South Jamaica, Queens, New York. Husain is a Schomburg Center Junior Scholar. Zahra, who is now 18, wants to go to school to become a registered dietician. Husain is an avid reader — one of his favorite books is Think and Grow Rich — and he loves to golf. 

However, his biggest passion is spoken word. He has performed all over New York City, including at the Nuyorican and the Afrikan Poetry Theatre. In his essay to become a Disney Dreamer, he promised to perform a special poem at the conference. 

“I want to inspire my peers and show them what spoken word has done for me,” he said. “It changes you internally. It changed my life.”

 

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