Interview with an Incoming Student

Salem Academy senior Kyle Wilson knows where he is supposed to be.

“I looked up Montserrrat and thought ‘this is literally perfect.’”

Kyle was excited to attend Montserrat from the moment he first heard about it from other seniors. Originally, his post-high school plans involved pursuing a degree in history or crime scene investigation. He’d never thought about art as a potential career, despite the fact that he’s been crafting, painting, and drawing since he was a child.

His potential creative future started to take shape when his mother pointed out Kyle’s love of craft projects–that he’d make his own toys, or turn an old sock into a vest for their cat. Often those childhood art projects involved reimagining or rebuilding the other toys around him. 

“I’m a [Monster High] doll collector, I like to create new characters out of old ones I’ve had. I wrote my college essay on that.”

Before learning about Montserrat, Kyle was looking at fashion and graphic design programs, hoping for a pathway into toy design. Discovering the Games, Toys, and Play (GTP) concentration at Montserrat was a real game-changer (pun intended). 

Salem Academy gave Kyle the day off from school so he could visit the Montserrat campus in person. He ended up getting a tour all to himself.

“I felt bad not asking questions. I was just so in awe of everything.”

Of special interest to Kyle was the production space used by the Games, Toys, and Play students. While visiting he met one there working on a puppet and a plushy. For Kyle every part of the process felt as warm and welcoming as that entrance to GTP studio.

“[The admissions team] were insanely helpful in setting up my portfolio. They were excited for me to be excited… I can tell I’m going to feel welcomed in this new environment.”