Elon students to coffee shop staffer: You're going to Disney World!

Brooke Metz | USA TODAY

When Elon University junior Taylor Zisholtz visited the campus coffee shop for dinner one night, she had no idea she’d leave with a mission to make someone’s dream come true.

Beloved university employee Kathryn Thompson manned the sandwich line that night, as she’s done five nights a week for the past 10 years. After Zisholtz placed her order, Thompson told her to “Have a good, honey.” It’s what she always says.

Soon after, Thompson began talking to Zisholtz and another girl nearby, first-year Lucy Smith-Williams.

When Smith-Williams said she was from Florida, Thompson's face lit up. It was her “one and only dream,” she said, to visit Disney World with her family.

Thompson, who was born and raised near Elon, N.C., had never left the town.

Zisholtz and Smith-Williams locked eyes. They knew they had to make Thompson’s dream a reality.

“I had such an adrenaline rush that I started working on a Go Fund Me page for her that night,” Zisholtz said. “By the next day we posted it, and it started rolling.”

They shared the page on various Elon Facebook groups, Twitter and even Yik Yak. In just three days, they raised almost half the funds needed to meet their initial goal of $6,500.

“As a freshman joining new community, seeing the whole campus come together to give was very special experience,” Smith-Williams said.

They’ve now raised almost $10,000, and the page is flooded with well wishes from current students and alumni.

“This woman and the few people like her are the reason I loved Elon,” wrote Sean Lang.

“Sweet Kathryn deserves this more than anyone,” wrote Lauren Goworowski.

Even people with no connection to Elon have contributed to the cause.

“I don’t know anyone involved,” wrote Cassandra Cooper, who saw the page on Facebook, “but I believe everyone deserves the chance to get away.”

Especially Thompson. In addition to working at Elon until 2 a.m. five nights a week, she also works at a school in the local district. She works until 3 p.m. at the school and then drives to Elon, where she takes a quick nap in her car before starting her shift.

“She has such a profoundly positive impact on people,” Smith-Williams said. “Everyone knows who she is, and she’s always interested in anything you have to say.”

“When you see her, it feels like you’re walking into Grandma’s house,” Zisholtz said.

When Zisholtz and Smith-Williams led Thompson into the room where they planned to surprise her, she thought a Mickey poster, covered in quotes of love and support from the Go Fund Me page donations, was the surprise.

“When I read her the part that said, ‘You and your family are going to Disney World,’ she realized and broke down,” Zisholtz said.

Zisholtz and Smith-Williams will use the extra money to help Thompson’s family in another way, possibly with another trip.

“We didn’t do anything revolutionary — anyone could’ve done this,” Smith-Williams said. “Anything you can do to change someone’s life helps. If you can just do a little something to make someone’s life better, it could really make an impact on that person and the community.”



This story originally appeared on the USA TODAY College blog, a news source produced for college students by student journalists. The blog closed in September of 2017.