The Prep welcomed recent visits from two Old Terryers, brothers and former pupils of the school. With jobs now as an architect and film director, they returned to school to speak with Year 8 pupils as part of their careers talks, sharing their experiences and pathways since leaving. Their visits continue a well‑established tradition at the school, where Old Terryers regularly return, typically once a term since becoming Merchant Taylors’ Prep, to engage with current pupils and offer their insight into future opportunities.
Writes Ayaan K. (Y8)
In March, Joseph Silva of the class of 2009 visited the Prep. He is an Old Terryer who is now an architect. He talked to us about his time at the Prep, which at that time was Northwood Prep. He also talked to us about university, where he took a special course to be an architect and how other people taking the same course went into so many different fields, like designing games, and working on VR projects. He also mentioned the huge variety of interesting people and celebrities like actors, politicians that he got to work for and with. It was very interesting to hear about an Old Terryer’s life and experiences, as well as where he’s got to now.
Writes Adam K. (Y8)
I have always enjoyed drama and acting, so I was very excited to hear that a film director was coming to our school to talk to us about life behind the scenes. Michael Silva came to our school last week, on the 15th of April. He talked to Year 8 about his journey from cricket star to English ace. However, when at a friend’s house, he was passed a camera and discovered he had an unknown hidden talent. His unexpected journey taught me how different life could be, and how anyone could completely change their mind about careers. He himself said he was shocked to have done something so different than what he had been preparing his whole life. From there, he ventured into the film industry and has since worked and directed several films. These include many famous actors such as Paul Rudd who plays Ant-Man in Ant-Man and Wasp, and even the Mortal Kombat movie. He was very helpful and told us many aspects about life in the film industry. I enjoyed it very much, as it gave me and the others a strong insight and view about potential careers. To my surprise, he has also made many adverts and commercials, even working with Big Zuu a famous rapper, which many of us found thrilling. Overall, Michael Silva has shared his amazing story with us and has really helped us to branch out and find our true passion in life, and how it could be something totally different to what we thought, as well as to take every opportunity you get.
