At the Fowler School of Engineering, students are holistically supported throughout their academic and career endeavors. For instance, the Design, Create, and Innovate (DCI) Lab offers opportunities to create anything imaginable. Elsewhere, at the Office of Career Services, students are prepared for their incoming career prospects through networking events and professional opportunities.

For Fowler Engineering senior Ethan Tapia, switching his major to Computer Science meant gaining access to resources that would not only advance his education but also prepare him for a career in a competitive market. Now, Tapia awaits the start of his software engineering internship with The Walt Disney Company this summer.

“Fowler pretty much prepared me to have a very wide skillset. The path I took was kind of random, going from biology into computer science. But that’s how it eventually led to my position at Disney,” Tapia said.

The Engineering Difference

By the end of his freshman year in 2023, Tapia joined a small yet formidable percentage of the Fowler School of Engineering student population who transferred into engineering. As a first-generation student, Tapia was drawn to the many resources available to Fowler Engineering students starting their first year.

“I started off at Chapman as a biology major. I was on a pre-med track. But then I took a one-credit Engineering 101 class, and that pretty much changed everything for me,” Tapia said. “Honestly, it was also a lot of the offerings at Swenson, such as operating the SPOT Dogs, that also made me switch my freshman year.” 

Ethan Tapia (right) with Kalin Richardson (left), dressed in black commencement gowns, posing with the SPOT dogs in front of Swenson Hall

Ethan Tapia (right) with Kalin Richardson (left), operating the SPOT Dogs for the Fowler School of Engineering Degree Ceremony.

Tapia learned more about the Computer Science major through an advising appointment with Dr. Mark Harrison, who served as an Academic Program Advisor for Computer Science at the time. After switching majors, Tapia made sure to take advantage of the resources offered by the Fowler School of Engineering. 

“I started taking more classes, and I think being in that space at Fowler was very inspiring. Just seeing a lot of students 3D printing and stuff like that. I always wanted to have a 3D printer, but I didn’t have access to one. So, for it to just be publicly available for students, not even engineering students, but also for biology majors, kind of opens a different kind of hobby. You can just go there between classes. I think that pretty much allowed me to kind of explore that passion that I’ve had,” Tapia said. 

Academic Preparation for Industry Careers

Throughout his sophomore and junior years, Tapia worked alongside student engineering teams on major projects, including the Corgi-cade with Game Development Programming minor students and the R2-D2 with the Chapman Robotics Club. While working with these two teams, Tapia contributed to both the 3D printing and coding aspects of their respective projects.

Ethan Tapia and Chapman University students pictured with the Corgicade project in Swenson Hall Tech Shop

Ethan Tapia with the Corgicade student engineering teams.

“I think Fowler does a really good job of offering so many resources, but you just need to take advantage of them. You need to learn and pretty much apply them in different ways, because they’re pretty universal, in a sense.” Tapia said.

Additionally, Tapia conducted academic undergraduate research during the previous summer, funded by the Fowler School of Engineering. While conducting research, Tapia found himself returning to the basics of 3D printing, applying his fundamental knowledge of Fusion 360 and AutoCAD from previous coursework to creating tangible prototypes.

“I developed a fish-inspired swimming hydro robot with Evan Figueroa, and we worked a lot with 3D printing, failure analysis, and using the Instron, which is an industry-grade tool that a lot of companies use,” Tapia said.

Thanks to the wide array of skills he developed at the Fowler School of Engineering, Tapia decided to apply them to his next target: an internship with The Walt Disney Company.

Developing Magic at Disney

Tapia also worked at Disneyland Resort as a Steward. There, Tapia began developing his relationship with The Walt Disney Company, understanding their company culture while pursuing rigorous studies at Chapman University. 

“As an engineering student, a service job teaches you so much about people. I think just having a service job teaches you so much about people and how to read them,” Tapia said.

Previously, Tapia’s family had also worked at Disneyland Resort as attraction hosts, serving guests while Tapia was growing up. Motivated by his desire to uphold the magic made by his grandmother and uncle, Tapia applied for a Disney internship once applications for summer 2026 were released. 

With the assistance of the Fowler Office of Career Services, Tapia perfected his application process.

“I learned through a resume career workshop with Samuel Lee that having very targeted points in your resume and metrics is super important. And honestly, for Disney specifically, I was drawn to working there already,” Tapia said. Tapia also attended mock interview sessions and networking events with the Fowler Office of Career Services, strengthening his preparation for his future career.

Interviewing for Imagineering

Shortly after applying, Tapia was called back for both a personal and technical interview. “Disney is super based on storytelling. Being first-gen was a big talking point in my interview, and how it shaped me,” Tapia said.

During the technical interview, Tapia found himself heavily relying on his experiences at the Fowler School of Engineering. He primarily attributed his success in interviews to the classes that prepared him for technical questions, such as CPSC 350, CPSC 351, and CPSC 353. 

“Many Fowler professors worked in the industry and are very passionate about what they teach. They know what you’re going to be faced with during these interviews,” Tapia said. “All the content from these classes appeared during my technical rounds with system design, data structures and algorithms, and networking protocols.”

Tapia also talked about his participation in major research projects, 3D printing, fabrication, and more, creating a well-rounded profile of his candidacy during interviews. “Just having a wide range of skills definitely helped me stand out,” Tapia said.

Chapman Engineering students Ethan Tapia (left) and Eric Chier (right) proudly present their research involving innovative biomechanics.

Chapman Engineering students Ethan Tapia (left) and Eric Chier (right) present their research involving innovative biomechanics at the Fall 2023 Student Scholar Symposium.

Tapia will begin his internship as a Software Engineering Intern at Walt Disney World in the summer of 2026. There, he will work with the Attractions and Operations Technology department to update and enhance the software that powers many of our favorite attractions, parades, and upcoming experiences. 

Preparing for a Career After Fowler

As Tapia patiently counted down the days until the University Commencement, he reflected on the significance of his incoming internship with The Walt Disney Company. Tapia felt particularly grateful for the opportunity to do right by his family history with the company.

“I am the first person in my family to go to college. To cross this off my list was a full-circle moment. My grandma and uncle were very emotional when I told them the news, and it was super satisfying to make my parents proud,” he said.

Growing up visiting the Disneyland Resort, Tapia will continue the magic behind many of our beloved attractions while advancing his career with The Walt Disney Company. This upcoming internship will now encapsulate his hard work and dedication, paving the way for a bright future in Imagineering. 

But before leaving for his next adventure, Tapia was kind enough to share advice for engineering students following similar career paths.

“I think if you’re starting off in college, just failing and growing from mistakes is the most important thing. I think making mistakes and learning from them is the biggest thing that I took from it,” he said. 

Besides advising students to visit the Office of Career Services for professional assistance, Tapia also encourages students to take advantage of other on-campus resources, such as student organizations and academic research.

“There are so many resources and opportunities. Take advantage of them. College is meant for you to explore. Change your major a million times, find the right thing that feels natural to you. There’s way more that is offered now than when I started back then,” Tapia said.

Visit the Fowler Career Services website and schedule an appointment with our Career Services Manager to get started on your internship and job search! Be sure to check out Handshake for upcoming career opportunities and on-campus events.