In being accepted into the MA, Pyo had achieved the goal she once only dreamed of, but — as many ex-students will tell you — nothing could have prepared her for professor Louise Wilson. "Coming from Korea, and not having perfect English, I was scared to do my MA with [her]," Pyo says of the late, legendary course director, who was equally feared and revered by her students. "She would say first years’ work is disgusting and makes her eyes bleed. It came as a huge shock that someone could scream at you like that, throwing people’s work, almost like a film or dream," she says. But she also remembers how much Wilson cared about the students and their work: "To get involved at that level, emotionally, it takes a lot of energy, and not many people would do that," she says. "What [Louise] said was really right and I think she was preparing us for the tough industry; if we can't stand her then there's no chance to survive anyway, so you might as well drop out or stop there [if you can’t handle it]. I think you rarely meet anyone who can be that honest with you."