We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Gladys West. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Gladys below.

Hi Gladys, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

As a non-English speaking immigrant who at the age of fourteen, came to the United States after being required to flee Nicaragua due to a civil war, I have been able to adapt accordingly, and successfully, while becoming an executive in a Human Resource career.

Due to one of those professional roles, at Walt Disney Feature Animation Studios, in Orlando, Florida, in 2012, I opened the first of its kind animation school, Elite Animation Academy, to instruct children, ages eight and up, the disciplines of animation. Through the years, we have expanded to instructing autistic students as well, through Digital Arts for Autism, which is the non-profit arm of Elite Animation Academy.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

After I graduated from university with a bachelor’s in business, finance, and law, I was hired by The Walt Disney Company in Burbank, CA in 1991. I quickly got promoted and in 1994 I was given the opportunity to relocate to Orlando, FL, and work with the Feature Animation Florida Department. I was a Production Accountant and worked on Pocahontas, Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Mulan. The best part of my job was meeting and getting to know the animators, clean up artists, and other key personnel who make the magic of Disney Movies come to reality. I fell in love with the art of animation even though I was not even able to draw a stick figure. In 1996 I decided to pursue a career switch to Human Resources (HR) and sadly I had to say goodbye to my WDFAF family. In the years to come, I excelled in my HR career and quickly moved up to Director level roles. In early 2012, I started my own HR consulting firm, but the love for animation was still close to my heart.

While at the Dr. Phillips library I ran into an old friend from WDFAF, Paulo Alvarado, and shared my dream to start a school where middle and high school aged students could learn animation to help acquire the training they needed to apply and become accepted into major animation universities, such as CAL Arts, Rigling, or Savannah College of Art and Design.

Personally, our spouses were quite encouraging, and both became part of the business. After various meetings and long hours discussing strategy, we opened Elite Animation Academy with one student in September 2012. We rented space at a local church and would meet on Tuesdays and Thursday’s afternoon to teach traditional animation. We did not start with any major equipment, so we had to bring our supplies and set them up before the beginning of each class. Fortunately, we grew our student base by word of mouth as we did not have a budget for advertising. Our program was a success and quickly became known around Central Florida.

Once we began attaining Google reviews, our program expanded into the international markets where we were instructing students in China, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Netherlands, and so on. In 2020 we expanded our program to autistic students; this program is thriving and exponentially growing as we were awarded the Step-Up for Students certification through the state of Florida, for student scholarship funding.

Elite Animation Academy and Digital Arts for Autism offer the only digital and traditional animation programs for students under 18 years old. We are proud to say several of our students have been accepted in prestigious art schools, graduated, and then came back to intern, and subsequently collaborated with us. We are a 360 program which helps artists grow artistically, prepare them for college while allowing them to work in the industry; all of which are outstanding circles of achievements.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I was born in Managua, Nicaragua and lived a comfortable lifestyle with my parents and siblings. In 1978 the civil war between Somosistas and Sandinistas turned our lives upside down. In April of 1979, my sister and I escaped Nicaragua with only a suitcase in our hands. We stayed with my aunt in Los Angeles, and my mother later joined us. Without speaking a word of English, we had to learn and adapt quickly. My Aunt enrolled us in a beginner English program at a local high school. Shortly after we moved to a city nearby where I began attending a public high school and had to enroll in an English-speaking language program. In my junior year, my mother transferred my sister and I to a private Catholic school where I finished my secondary education. I then applied for, and was accepted into California State Polytechnic University, in Pomona. In 1989, I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business finance and law. In 1991, I applied and was hired at The Walt Disney Company in Burbank, CA, where I quickly was promoted. In 1994, I began working for Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida (WDFAF).

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

The caliber of instructors at Elite Animation quickly placed us on the creative, academic map as most are, or were, Walt Disney Company film animators. Our instructors have worked on a myriad of known films such as Tarzan, Beauty and the Beast, the Lion King, and even Aladdin. So, we can easily state that we contract with the most prominent animators in the world, to instruct our students. Also, many of our students have returned several times to gain increased animation knowledge. Those students, and their parents often recommend and advocate for our animation studio. Further, our multiple, and overly positive Google reviews, along with social media has played a crucial role in our success as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.eliteanimationacademy.com