NATALIE MORALES
B.M. | MUSIC STUDIES
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL AND FINE ARTS
PART OF UTSA TODAY’S SERIES ON SOME OF THE NEWEST ALUMNI OF ROADRUNNER NATION
MAY 15, 2020 — Natalie Morales dreams big. Now that this Roadrunner has earned a bachelor of music with a concentration in music education, she has her sights set on another dream. A path that will take her from San Antonio to a land where dreams come true: Disney World.
“My big dream is to work for the company, either in music or ultimately as an Imagineer,” says Morales. “One of my dreams is to help design or create their famous Mickey ears.”
Morales has been accepted to the Disney College Program, a four-month internship used to also recruit the next-generation of Walt Disney creatives.
“Imagineers are responsible for the endless magical components,” says Morales.
Endless Magic
The term Imagineering, trademarked by Disney, describes the blending of imagination and engineering. More and more companies realize that innovation involves teams of multidisciplinary thinkers, which includes those that study the liberal arts.
Getting accepted into the Disney College Program took more than imagination for Morales. It takes sweat equity. Only one in four candidates gains admission. Yet Morales, with her UTSA experience, crossed the gauntlet. As member of the Music Theory Club, she conducted research on college students and their listening habits, including choices made along the music complexity spectrum.
According to the findings, college students opt for music to help with productivity and alleviate stress. It’s for this reason that music selections among college students tend to be repetitive. Morales, along with others, presented the findings last year at the Pedagogy and Practice Conference in Santa Barbara, California.
“I didn’t yet know what I wanted for my future, but I knew I could not go wrong with music education,” Morales said, “since it meant I would be able to teach others and inspire.”
But it was Disney recruiters who were also inspired by Morales’ dedication and tenacity. During her time at UTSA she demonstrated leadership as president of the Clarinet Studio and successfully maintained both the Presidential and the Ensemble Scholarships.
Morales values faith and dreams but not wishful thinking. If you ask her to think of her favorite Disney film, she names Aladdin. Yet it’s not for the reason that you might think. “I learned that you don’t need a genie to get what you wish,” said Morales.
Next time you visit one of the Disney parks, pay attention. You might hear this Roadrunner’s music or buy one of her designed Mickey Mouse ears hats. Roadrunners can make your day magical too.
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Join the PEACE Center and Wellbeing Services for Denim Day, a day of learning about the importance of consent and why we wear denim on the last Wednesday of the month each April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Stop by our Denim Day display to take a photo in front of our Denim Wall, spin the "Is It Consent?" Wheel, and get a Concha or goodie.
Student Union Window Lounge, Main CampusLearn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.
Virtual EventThis event will acknowledge graduating seniors from the McNair Scholars program at UTSA before inducting the new cohort of scholars into the program.
North Paseo Building (NPB 5.140), Main CampusAt this memorable celebration, UTSA graduates will be introduced one-by-one to cross the stage and accept their doctoral degrees.
Arts Building Recital Hall, Main CampusRoadrunner Walk is an event for graduating students to have a memorable walk on campus to celebrate an important milestone and their achievements. Graduates will walk along the Paseo while being celebrated by the UTSA community, friends, and family members.
Student Union Paseo, Main CampusCelebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.
Alamodome, 100 Montana St.Celebrate the accomplishments of Alvarez College of Business, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.
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