Tradition Never Graduates - Emily Kraus '16

Published: May 1, 2024

From Sesame Street to Main Street, USA, Emily Kraus ’16 has been living by the words: “What is meant for you will not pass you by.”

Emily was a devoted visual art student before and during high school at NDA. She was prompted to audition for NDA’s musical going into her freshman year by her dance teacher and NDA’s choreographer, the late Karen Niewiadomski. Emily ended up performing in the NDA and St. Francis musicals during all four years of her high school career, and she also sang in NDA’s choir and played in the SFS band.

After graduating from NDA in 2016, Emily attended Marquette University in Milwaukee. There, she earned her degree in Theatre Arts, with emphases in performance and scenic design.

But her college experience ended on a low note, as it coincided with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, Emily came home to Toledo in March 2020 to finish her degree online. She wore many different hats and worked at YMCA Storer Camps, Maddie & Bella Coffee Roasters, Imagination Station, and even as a long-term sub (for the late Mrs. Trish Sanders ‘71) at NDA.

The following fall, Emily enjoyed her first work experience with the Walt Disney Company when she joined the Disney College Program, a one-of-a-kind internship that, for her, had been deferred for more than a year due to COVID.

In November 2022, Emily joined the national tour of Sesame Street Live as a stagehand carpenter, which was one of her favorite experiences so far. “The show had a really small cast and crew, so we all got to know each other well and became incredibly close as a company,” she said. “We also got to travel all over the U.S., and got to explore cities like Detroit, San Diego, and even New York.”

Emily moved to Orlando in the fall of 2023 for what would turn out to be a short-term role as a scenic artist with Bungalow Scenic Studios. “What was supposed to be a solid start in Florida turned into a five-week gig when half of my department got laid off, myself included,” explains Emily. “So, I gave myself two weeks to look for other work in Orlando, and decided that I would look elsewhere if nothing stuck. Exactly two weeks later, Disney held a job fair that I attended, and I received a call the very next morning offering me a position!”

At Disney, Emily works in the role of “Character Craftworker.” She is part of the team that builds and maintains Disney character costumes for not only Disney World, but also Disneyland, the international parks, and Disney Cruise Line. Emily works with many familiar Disney, Star Wars, and Marvel characters. While she couldn’t say much about the details of her role, she was able to give some insight. “I’ve been giving Minnie and Daisy a lot of shoe shines lately,” Emily shares, “and I also recently got to help repair some Stormtroopers that got a little dinged up in battle, if you will.”

While she is thrilled to be creating the magic and contributing to the experience and tradition that is Disney, Emily still finds herself getting in her own way. “I almost talked myself out of applying for this job because I had convinced myself I wasn’t qualified enough,” she says, “but I try to keep things in perspective when seeking new opportunities. If I stop myself from going for something, the best-case scenario is that nothing changes. If I go for something that I want, the worst-case scenario is that nothing changes and I don’t get it…but the best-case scenario is that life changes for the better and I get the chance to try something new,” she explains. 

“My mantra has become: ‘I am worthy of goodness and capable of greatness.’ I know now that I can’t sit around and wait for the life I want – I have to work to make it happen!”