The TKS Faculty have named our Notable Students of the Season! I’d like to officially announce and congratulate TK Actors: Aidan Poltun, Avery Mendillo, Ben Montes-Liendo, Britt Good, Celeste Iglesias-Baires, David Torozoff, Elena Estér, Jameal Bailey, Kendra Kassim, Omar Mostafa, Shannon Vopasek, Trent Dahlin, Tyler Wiesner, and Valérie Guillamo on being selected as the Notable Students for Summer 2026.
These 14 students are truly inspiring – meeting the moment with enthusiasm, courage, and playful curiosity. They embody what it means to be “committed to excellence.” After notifying these students of their nominations, we asked them to share some insights on their time at TK Studio with the following prompts:
- How has your training here at TKS supported your understanding and pursuit of artistic excellence?
- Describe a moment in your training journey that you recall as having had a clear and lasting impact on you?
- What does being a part of the TKS community mean to you?
Let’s celebrate these exceptional students and send them lots of love and congratulations. We are so lucky to have them and all of you as integral members of our TKS Community!
Aidan PoltunSummer Intensive, Celestine Rae
How has your training here at TKS supported your understanding and pursuit of artistic excellence?
It has helped me a lot with understanding the excellence of showing up every day ready to work. Watching Celestine and Terry and how engaged and professional they are has really opened my eyes of the level of energy and commitment I need to bring everyday.
Describe a moment in your training journey that you recall as having had a clear and lasting impact on you?
I think the moment where I was putting back together an endowed object with glue and I started almost crying and then screaming at the top of my lungs was an emotional breakthrough for me and my instrument. I felt it cleared the blocks I was having before in the exercise and since then it has changed my work.
What does being a part of the TKS community mean to you?
It means a lot, I have felt an immense amount of growth in such a short time and I credit it to the creative and intense atmosphere Celestine and Terry have been able to create everyday in class. I am extremely grateful to be a part of this experience.
Avery MendilloSummer Intensive, Terry Knickerbocker
How has your training here at TKS supported your understanding and pursuit of artistic excellence?
TKS has given me more creative freedom in the past 6 weeks than any other program I’ve been a part of. My understanding of who I am as an artist has become more clear day after day, and I feel like I’m being pointed in the right direction of where my abilities can take me. The classes here at TKS know no limits and provide an environment for its students to be their freest selves every day. It’s an honor to get to show up and be a part of the TKS community.
Describe a moment in your training journey that you recall as having had a clear and lasting impact on you?
Even in my first Meisner class of the summer, the oath we took as students made a huge impression on me. The oath was to confirm our willingness and openness to changing and becoming the best artist in us. Change can be extremely hard, and right from the beginning, TKS has made me feel confident to try new things and make a mess in order to truly see what’s inside. I will never forget how that first class left such a lasting impact on me, and I continue to hold myself to the oath’s standard every class and every day.
What does being a part of the TKS community mean to you?
It means so much to be able to walk into a studio of like-minded individuals and to feel like you can come as you are is such a privilege. Right from the start, TKS does an amazing job making you feel like you belong in the space and in the work, which is something I really value and look for within any community I’m a part of. My goal is to cultivate that same environment TKS met me with and have fun while doing it.
Ben Montes-LiendoSummer Intensive, Celestine Rae + Terry Knickerbocker
How has your training here at TKS supported your understanding and pursuit of artistic excellence?
My training at at TKS has been the guard rails to my bowling ball. I am weighted with momentum, and the studio has been at fantastic at keeping me in the lane, heading towards the pins. Strike.
Britt Good Summer Intensive, Terry Knickerbocker
How has your training here at TKS supported your understanding and pursuit of artistic excellence?
There’s so much I could say, but honestly, TKS has completely re-inspired me and made me feel alive again by grounding me in my truth. It taught me that excellence isn’t about trying to get it right – it’s about the doing. I’ve learned to be more fearless in the work, knowing that my failures are where the deepest growth lives.
Describe a moment in your training journey that you recall as having had a clear and lasting impact on you?
I’ve had endless moments at TKS that slapped me awake to my habits, which was both eye-opening and empowering. The moment that stayed with me most was that what you do doesn’t depend on you – it depends on the other person. Combined with the beautiful work of daydreaming about real desire, TKS pushed me to unfold who I am more and dream so much bigger.
What does being a part of the TKS community mean to you?
Being a part of TKS feels deeply rewarding. The teachers and staff make you feel so seen and supported on your artistic journey. Connecting and really getting to know people on a deeper level during this intensive – and seeing the growth in all of us has been so special. It honestly feels like a little TKS family.
Celeste Iglesias-Baires
Summer Intensive, Celestine Rae + Terry Knickerbocker
How has your training here at TKS supported your understanding and pursuit of artistic excellence?
TKS has allowed me to embrace the process of being an actor-in-progress, while rejecting the idea of “getting it right”. There’s something so refreshing about approaching the basics of acting again as somebody who’s been taking classes for a while. Being able to step out of the “perfectionist over-thinker” mindset has allowed me to stop second guessing myself, while also embracing trust in myself and the impulses that acting thrives off of.
David TorozoffSummer Intensive, Terry Knickerbocker
How has your training here at TKS supported your understanding and pursuit of artistic excellence?
Growing up in an immigrant family, on the streets, jumping from one country to another, gave me a lot. Plenty of life, plenty of off-the-wall truthful moments, plenty of real characters. But that life also came at the speed of a galloping horse. A kind of entropy, everything piling up with no time to pause, until it all became one big tangled ball, an everything bagel. And that didn’t just become my ethos in life. It became my ethos in acting too.
Being here helped me untangle each thread and see its beauty moment to moment, instead of as one big thing. The classes are that untangling. Meisner, movement, voice, neutral mask, emotional processing, accents, each one touching a different part, from the practical to the mystical and esoteric, and then the strange work of mixing them all back together.
Even the parts that look tedious at first do it. The Meisner independent activity pushes muscles in your brain you forgot were there. One day I’m in a magic store working out Houdini knots and cardistry, the next I’m in a hardware store, and the next, trying to copy Matisse paintings and sculptures. Imagination is a blade, and in a world where we’re always chasing survival and the hustle, it goes dull. This work sharpens it. It opens up how you see everything. It makes you slow down, and move from survival to desire and love instead. Or as my partner Jenny Zhang puts it, I’m this flavourful smoothie, I have no idea what my ingredients are, and now I’m reversing the process, finding the recipe so I can just enjoy the flavour at its fullest.
Describe a moment in your training journey that you recall as having had a clear and lasting impact on you?
The moment I keep coming back to is my very first class. Terry clocked me in about ten seconds. I’d walked in performing, presenting some calm, cool, collected version of myself, even reaching for a Shakespeare quote, “to hold as ’twere the mirror up to nature” rather ironically using the phrase as a shield. As much as we all love Shakespeare, it had nothing to do with what I was actually doing in that room. I was there to reach down to my truth. I was hiding, and he saw it instantly.
My armour went up. I told him I didn’t think I was a cool actor, and he gave me one note: get interested in what I’m telling you, leave yourself alone, put your attention on your partner. That was the first time I saw the gap between my habits and my truth, that while trying to make myself present, I was controlling myself. With one note, my attention went off me and onto the person in front of me, and my armour came all the way down.
I felt like a novice piano player learning the keys for the first time, only my keys were my emotions, and at first I was only interested in the beautiful shiny chords. But it slowly turned into a jazzing session: I was playing all the keys, messy, crude, off beat, screeching, beautiful, ugly, and my attention wasn’t even on the keys. They were simply a response to what was happening around me, outside of me, what was happening in the heart of the person in front of me, and giving myself the freedom to taste it.
What does being a part of the TKS community mean to you?
Everything. A place where I feel safe to play. It would be naive to say everything in this industry is holistic. It’s not. You walk into most classes or auditions and it’s pure competitiveness. A lot of people take on the archetype of the understudy, ready to take you on. And that’s fine, it’s part of it. But here, with Terry, Celestine, Meghan, Matthew, Kana, and Mackian, there’s so much trust in this space that we let each other be crude, direct, stir each other up and put each other back together. We let our armour down and trust everyone to push us in any direction, and we charge in like bulls. And it isn’t only the classes. The administration, Marena, Maggie, Kevin, the alumni, it is one big community.
Elena EstérOnline Intensive, Meghan Mulcahy
How has your training here at TKS supported your understanding and pursuit of artistic excellence?
Two ways: Training at TKS reminded me there are no shortcuts. You have to do the work even when it feels like you are not getting anywhere. If you keep showing up, little by little, things get uncovered — and what is uncovered are pieces of you. Which leads me to the second point: Uncovering these pieces of ourselves is both the process and the goal. The work requires intimate self- knowledge and that you confront yourself courageously, again and again, to ensure you are showing up in each and every exercise or role with authenticity and truth. Most importantly, doing the work reinforces the intrinsic value and gift of our unique selves and that we are already ENOUGH as we are to create meaningful art. It’s a multi-layered, ever-evolving lifelong journey so enjoy the ride!
Describe a moment in your training journey that you recall as having had a clear and lasting impact on you?
It’s difficult to isolate one moment since there have been many moments where a lightbulb went off, or something shifted in a profound way. A small moment where I realize that I am learning to trust myself more and to just be present with how I’m feeling and with my partner. Another moment where I find myself deeply moved while watching others’ work, maybe because I recognize a shared vulnerability or otherwise resonate with it. I love being reminded of the universality of the human experience, even though we each express it through our unique bodies and senses of self.
And of course, this recognition is a great honor and so unexpected! You know how sometimes you just keep working and working and don’t notice your own progress? And then something happens that helps you recognize that you are indeed moving forward, step by step! This is one of those moments and I’m so grateful and thankful!
What does being a part of the TKS community mean to you?
Being part of the TKS community means being amongst colleagues who are also committed to excellence and are unafraid to peel off the layers and go deep in pursuit of truthful work. I have met so many wonderful people, from my classmates to the teachers, who have been so welcoming and encouraging to me. I really appreciate it and am grateful to be part of this community.
Jameal Bailey Summer Intensive, Meghan Mulcahy
How has your training here at TKS supported your understanding and pursuit of artistic excellence?
My training at TKS has supported my understanding by teaching me how to work from a raw, truthful place. It’s about fully being present and allowing moments to affect me in real time. This training allowed me to expand my imagination while staying grounded in authenticity.
Describe a moment in your training journey that you recall as having had a clear and lasting impact on you?
One moment in my training that had a clear and lasting impact on me was when we were assigned to bring in a task that was difficult, time-bound, and held a standard of perfection. I remember my teacher, Meghan, saying “We worship the temple of doing, not product, not feeling,” and that stuck to me. When I brought in my task, it all clicked in. I stopped focusing on the outcome and committed fully to doing, while taking in my partner personally. That shift deepened my presence and connection. It showed me that when I trust the work, use my imagination, and fully put my attention on my partner, the performance becomes truthful and alive.
What does being a part of the TKS community mean to you?
Being a part of the TKS community means being in a space that challenges me to grow while also supporting me in taking risks. I am surrounded by artists who support one another, pushes each other to their best. It also means having the freedom to explore and express myself without judgment.
Kendra Kassim2 Year Conservatory, Celestine Rae
Describe a moment in your training journey that you recall as having had a clear and lasting impact on you?
For me, it was the day I decided to work on outrage. I’m not one to yell or scream. I push down all my feelings, I shut down and then I dissociate. None of that was serving me in my work. Each week, I was bringing in activities, praying they would break me out of those habits, and they slowly did. But the activity I brought in that day really did. Now, I’ll be honest- I wanted to shut down. But with the help of Celestine saying, “Don’t suffer, Kendra, “ and “What’s the truth?” by the end, I screamed, I cried and I didn’t care about how messy or crazy I looked. And it felt GOOD.
What does being a part of the TKS community mean to you?
I love it, I really do! I don’t know if I have the words to express how grateful I am for the people that I’ve met here. I spent my whole life not wanting to be seen. Then I get here at TKS, and these people wouldn’t let me hide, no matter how hard I try. The people here have loved on me, encouraged me, rooted for me. I will be forever grateful for the TKS community because I am not the same person I was when I started this program two years ago and a lot of that is because of the people I met here.
Omar Mostafa2 Year Conservatory, Celestine Rae
How has your training here at TKS supported your understanding and pursuit of artistic excellence?
I would not understand anything without help from Celestine. I love how she always sets a standard for what we should be striving for. If not for her respect and fortitude in regards to the work, I would not be able to succeed.
Describe a moment in your training journey that you recall as having had a clear and lasting impact on you?
Celestine told me that we can either go two ways when things get difficult. We can either rest and come back another day, or we can compartmentalize our trials and tribulations, to be open to trying to do the best work we can despite those problems. Attempting to do the best work we can do, with no expectations other than trying our best.
What does being a part of the TKS community mean to you?
It means everything. It’s been very difficult, and the staff, and my fellow classmates often help me when I am struggling. Being a part of the community and surrounded by classmates has been integral to my training.
Shannon VopasekSummer Intensive, Meghan Mulcahy
How has your training here at TKS supported your understanding and pursuit of artistic excellence?
TKS is my first foray into my artistic pursuit of acting, but I fear the bar has been set extremely high. The work I’ve done during this summer intensive has been incredibly eye-opening, and has done nothing but make me hungry for more. I feel such validation for taking this chance on myself because I feel such a deep passion for the process despite how difficult it is sometimes.
Describe a moment in your training journey that you recall as having had a clear and lasting impact on you?
Honestly, there was a day during my training that I had a Defcon One level, absolutely awful day. I was feeling sick, miserable, and utterly dysregulated. I cried for probably 8 minutes straight during a silent exercise. I just wanted to go home, but I stuck it out and tried to do my best. It was honestly an eye opening experience. It affected my work for the rest of the day, I felt embarrassed, and it made me question everything. I’m not an efficiency machine that can just turn off my emotions, none of us are. Actors are human, and in order to do good work you have to really, really face yourself.
It was also a good day despite all of that. I laughed with my classmates later, and I didn’t die. It wasn’t the end of the world. I was vulnerable, but being able to be a huge mess without feeling judged was the most impactful. Meghan, Matthew, Mackian, and Kana have all taken chisels to the dam I’ve carefully built up over the years, but I feel like I’m finally letting the water flow through those cracks, little by little.
What does being a part of the TKS community mean to you?
The TKS community for me is about being generous, curious, committed, and vulnerable. I feel like I’ve made so many genuine connections and friendships that I hope will last a lifetime. My classmates have such rich lives, it’s beautiful, and inspiring to see what makes them tick. They make it easy to be open and willing to engage. The work we focus on is about having curiosity in each moment, and allowing yourself to be vulnerable to it. You can’t do that if you’re not generous with the people you’re in a scene with, and especially if you’re not generous with yourself.
Trent DahlinOnline Intensive, Meghan Mulcahy
How has your training here at TKS supported your understanding and pursuit of artistic excellence?
I feel like I’m acting for the first time. I mean, for the first time in my career, I’m watching the great Hollywood actors that I admire do the kind of work that I used to think was simply beyond my talent level and thinking, “I know how they got there.” I’m training muscles that I didn’t even know existed — how to take my imagination seriously, how to take my partner’s behavior as reality — and therefore feeling stronger than ever. So. To answer the question directly, I think for the first time I have a path toward excellence. My ability to improve before was capped at my technical ability to fake the pursuit of a goal. Now I think my ability to improve has no cap, as I can continue refining my ability to connect with my imagination, my emotional life, and my partner for the rest of my life. Could not be happier with this work.
Describe a moment in your training journey that you recall as having had a clear and lasting impact on you?
I remember the first day that I “took (things) as a reality.” It was maybe about 3-4 months into the work, during a repetition exercise, and my partner was acting weirdly robotic, impersonal toward me. In the past, I had treated such behavior as “part of the game,” as something unworthy of my attention. But this day, after at last having understood some oft-given notes from Meghan, I finally took Nora’s behavior personally: “Why the hell is she acting like this?” I thought. “We’re friends, aren’t we? None of her behavior is making any sense.” Some of the things that came out of my mouth that day were “Am I being punked?” “I feel like I’ve stepped through a portal.” “Who ARE you?” And I meant every one. After that, I stopped treating it like a game, and started seeing reality as it is. Thank you, Meghan and TKS, for “teaching me how to see.”
What does being a part of the TKS community mean to you?
Everyone I know who graduated from here is excellent, and I’m thrilled to be on the same path that they took 🙂 I honestly feel like among all my actor friends, it’s us at TKS that have the cheat code. That in turn gives us a responsibility, I think. As my favorite teacher said, we can’t “hide our light under a bushel” anymore. We’ve gotta go tell the truth.
Tyler Wiesner
2 Year Conservatory, Terry Knickerbocker
How has your training here at TKS supported your understanding and pursuit of artistic excellence?
For most of my career I feel like I’ve been chasing the echoes of great technique and craft. Terry- and his incredible community of teachers carry the torch of a long lineage of Meisner and acting teachers and training- and have expanded upon and evolved their techniques for this generation of artists.
The training is in my opinion immensely thorough, giving you a clear roadmap of what to work on- but also non-prescriptive- and immensely individual. They guide each and every artist with immense care, dedication and focus and attention- and have the utmost interest in you having your own set of tools to be the most committed and excellent actor you can be.
They have helped me distill and sharpen my tools- and get to the heart and meaning of the many materials I’ve been working with throughout my career- and helped me hone in on what is necessary and important. I feel such incredible freedom and creative permission because of this work.
It is a building block approach- where each new step enhances the last. Almost like learning how to walk; you have to learn how to get on your own to feet before you can learn how to run.
The passion and excellence of this training shines with such incredible clarity- and if you’re looking to really go to the next step as an artist- have a wealth of foundational, creative, imaginative tools that connect to your truth- that you can carry into the rest of your future art and life- then I cannot recommend this training enough.
Describe a moment in your training journey that you recall as having had a clear and lasting impact on you?
In life, there are a lot of roadmaps and stories we tell ourselves about who we are and what we can achieve and do. And the same thing is even truer for the artist. Most of my career, I’ve had specific roles that I play- not necessarily because I was incapable of playing other roles, but largely because I just didn’t know how to access the parts of myself that those other roles I was really passionate about required.
There was a turning point in the work where Terry really showed me that within the imaginary world- you as an artist have an unlimited capacity to access all of the range of human expression and emotion and doings. And like a light switch something clicked. That with this technique, utilizing these tools- the freedom and permission and the path to being able to experiment with my art widened so expansively- and it’s an immensely exciting and empowering thing to know and experience and practice. To have such a clarified way to access the full range of my imagination and really start to explore freely and intuitively what holds meaning and value to myself as an artist and person. These are tools and memories and lessons I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
What does being a part of the TKS community mean to you?
I have made lifelong friends here. My class has been such an incredible community and collective of immensely talented, creative and dedicated artists and actors. They’re also all just really great people. We’ve built such incredible trust with one another- and I learn so much from all of my cohort. We love this work so much- and we all meet and share stories and laugh and work with one another even outside of the studio. We make each other better. I feel so grateful and lucky for this group. Every single day, I also walk into the studio and meet incredible new artists and talents who are not even part of my class- and if you’re listening and available, the opportunity for learning and community is one of the greatest gifts that the studio has to offer. The studio’s administration and staff have created such an incredibly healthy, caring, safe and brave environment and community- and I am filled with gratitude every time I walk through the doors or get to run towards the cannons with my classmates in this beautiful work we all love and share.
Valérie Guillamo2 Year Conservatory, Terry Knickerbocker
How has your training here at TKS supported your understanding and pursuit of artistic excellence?
I came to realize that, for me, it’s about chasing the thrill of stepping outside my comfort zone. I know something interesting is cooking when I find myself in that space between fear and excitement. Because the process forces you to examine the themes that resonate most deeply with you, it inevitably becomes profoundly meaningful. And because each stage of the Meisner Technique builds on the previous one, the work grows deeper and richer. I love the idea that I’ve embarked on a transformational journey. Ultimately, it’s about crafting and living out imaginary circumstances in the most truthful way possible, which can be challenging but incredibly rewarding and a lot of fun.
Describe a moment in your training journey that you recall as having had a clear and lasting impact on you?
It happened at the very beginning of the process, during a repetition exercise. My scene partner was busy working on an independent activity while I stood at the door, unsure of what to say or what to do with myself. My partner was having a fit, and I kept deflecting. Terry noticed that I was withdrawing and worked with me relentlessly to bring me back, insisting that I stay engaged and voice the fear and rejection I was experiencing. It was exhilarating. I remember feeling as though a valve had suddenly burst open, and realizing that my job was to make sure it stayed open.
What does being a part of the TKS community mean to you?
Being part of the TKS community is a wonderful chance to get to know like-minded artists who share the same passion for the work. The classroom is a laboratory where we exercise our emotional muscles. I’m surrounded by incredibly brave and creative people and I’ve made true friends.
Are you looking for supportive and explorative acting lessons?
Learn more about Terry Knickerbocker Studio and find a program that aligns with your journey.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is “Students of the Season” at Terry Knickerbocker Studio?
This student spotlight celebrates individuals who demonstrate exceptional growth, artistic bravery, and commitment during their time in the studio’s rigorous acting programs.
How are Students of the Season selected?
Students are chosen for their openness, courage, and growth inside and outside the classroom: qualities often revealed in the deep process of acting lessons at TKS.
Which TKS programs are represented in the Summer 2026 list?
This season’s honorees represent several of our training paths, including the 2-Year Acting Conservatory, Summer Intensive, and Online Intensive.
What kinds of questions do featured students answer?
Featured students reflect on how their training has supported their pursuit of artistic excellence, share pivotal moments in their journey, and describe what it means to be part of the TKS community. Their student stories give insight into the impact of acting classes, scene study, and the Meisner technique at TKS.
What acting approach does TKS teach?
TKS specializes in the Meisner Technique, an acting method that trains artists to respond truthfully and spontaneously to imaginary circumstances. This approach is deeply embedded across all actor training, from acting lessons to scene work, and is supported by a faculty of experienced acting coaches.
Do you need Meisner experience before applying to TKS training programs?
No. Prior Meisner experience is not required to apply. Many students begin their Meisner journey at TKS through the Foundations, Intensive, or Conservatory programs. The training meets each actor where they are.
