Designing for Disney

Sponsored by Walt Disney Imagineering—the force behind all creative aspects of Disney—the annual Walt Disney Imaginations Design Competition receives hundreds of submissions. This year, a team of four students from Texas A&M University were among the six finalist teams, eventually winning second place overall. They were the first Aggie team to qualify as finalists.

This year’s prompt challenged students to design an installation in their campus or city that serves as an inspiration, honors the past and is a vision of the future.

Environmental design students Kennedy Behling ’20 and Abby Zuber ’20 and visualization majors Cecilia Gonzalez ’20 and Abby Henning ’20 collectively used their diverse talents to respond with a creative masterpiece called “Here” that focused on Texas A&M’s Muster tradition.

As a living memorial, their design included a large bronze central sculpture with six towers, one for each Texas A&M core value. The installation idea also featured interactive gardens and study areas. At night, “Here” became illuminated to symbolize the strength and warmth of the Aggie spirit. “It was rewarding to share the Muster tradition with those who had no idea what an Aggie was,” Henning said.

Though placing second was an honor, the students agreed that being surrounded by the other teams was the highlight of the competition. “The best prize we could have asked for was simply being finalists,” Zuber added. “The other teams were composed of such creative and kind people. That, coupled with experiencing Walt Disney Imagineering, made the experience truly special.”