PCSS 2025 Student Profile: Faye Addy

What surprised you the most about the Pre-College Summer Session?

What surprised me the most—besides the amazing quality of the cafeteria food—was the immediate connection I found in my peers. I came into this nervous about making friends, but so did everyone else. It’s almost like the first day of kindergarten: everyone is introducing themselves and asking to be friends. It’s as simple as that. And it’s amazing to ground yourself in the idea that you're all united because of a common interest in art. So I’d say everyone’s openness to becoming friends surprised me, but also, the openness to try new things and embrace the demanding nature of the program.

What aspect of the program had the biggest impact on you?

I would say the animation curriculum had the biggest impact on me. Besides the fact that the workload dictated me and my roommate's sleeping habits for two weeks, the projects that we were doing took a lot of mental maneuvering to complete. Deadlines are a real thing in high school, college, and the industry, and just because you don’t think your work is good enough, doesn’t mean you get extra time to make it better. You need to learn how to make your work good enough to move onto the next frame. In my time there, we did a ball bounce for one day, a walk cycle for about four days, a lip sync for roughly three days, and a final animation for eight days (give or take). The classes during the day are four and a half hours, and you have to learn to utilize that entire hunk of time, especially if you don’t want to be in studio hours working until midnight.

The animation class taught me that I need to be my own boss. The amount of creative freedom means that only you know what the final version should look like, so while you can ask others for critique, you have final say and need to learn how to go easy and hard on yourself.

How has your artistic practice changed from being a part of the program?

I feel like the people I surrounded myself with exposed me to a multitude of different drawing routines and inspired me to continue to draw more frequently, even after the program. I was drawing so much at the end of the program (because of my own necessity to have a perfect final project) that I got carpel tunnel. So, definitely make sure to get up from your chair and stretch your whole body and your wrist, every hour.

I also feel like I look at my artwork more objectively, and I use the “general to specific” rule in drawing more (that I learned from the foundational drawing class).

What was your favorite experience outside of the classroom?

My favorite experiences have to be the MIA and Walker trips led by Craig Farmer. I feel like I learned so much more about the artists who created the works, and he did a great job of tying everything together. As a history nerd it was definitely very fun for me. Another less-structured experience that still sticks with me is hanging out with my roommate on the weekends and ordering take-out together. This program gives students a lot of freedom outside of the classroom to go out and have dinner, but for the busier majors (animation), it is relatively impossible. So while we worked on backgrounds, we ordered food and it was really nice.

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about coming to the Pre-College Summer Session at MCAD?

My advice would be, while yes, you should think of this as akin to a real college experience, you should also think of this as a singular moment in time that, on the majority, doesn’t mirror the social or academic variables of college. I feel like if you’re thinking about going to an art school, then this is an incredible eye opening experience that will help you dip your toe into the art world. This program moves fast—especially as an animation major, so you can’t be a perfectionist. You have to shift your values (for at least 2.5 weeks) to the mindset of, “This looks good enough, and I have to move on.” Deadlines don’t wait for you, and as an animator you have to understand that.

Socially speaking, some advice I would give is that everyone is just as nervous about being in a new place, surrounded by new people, as you are. So give people some slack—give yourself some slack. The first days are going to be emotionally and physically exhausting, but once you get into the rhythm of things, you’ll do just fine.