Melissa Spero Palermo York Alumni Testimonial - The Art Institute of York

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Alumni Success Stories

What is Melissa doing today?

Today Melissa is the founder, President and CEO of The Fun-est Toy Store Ever located in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. Melissa can boast that her store has been reviewed by “Rates To Go, Travel Blog for Travelers” as #4 in the “Country’s 5 Best Toy Stores” and Lancaster County’s largest specialty toy store. Melissa opened her store in a 1200 square foot space just a few months after her graduation, in December of 2005, from Bradley Academy of the Visual Arts, now The Art Institute of York — Pennsylvania with her Associate’s Degree in Interior Design. Three years later, Melissa‘s toy store occupies 3600 square feet of a purchased an 18,000 square foot building. She is working on plans to refinish the additional space and rent it to another compatible business, such as a children’s play place.

Creative Inspiration

While Melissa was a student at Bradley Academy of the Visual Arts, currently The Art Institute of York — Pennsylvania, she had seen a television show about a small specialty toy store in Hoboken, New Jersey. She thought that this was the “best idea ever”! Melissa found the space that she intended for her store to occupy. She spent her final term of school designing with real samples, using a real budget and applications as her graduation project. While working on this project Melissa states that she received great advice from classmates and guidance from her Interior Design Instructor, Phil Smith. Melissa stated that “Phil pushed me to think like a designer and made me feel as if he was vested in my project”

Getting out there

Melissa was fortunate to find her dream and follow it through using the skills and resources she acquired while she was an Interior Design student at Bradley Academy of the Visual Arts. In just a short time since her graduation in 2005 Melissa’s Interior Design “project” has grown into a successful, “best” in the country toy store.

Stats:

Bradley Academy of the Visual Arts

Degree: Interior Design, 2005

Employer: President and CEO of The Fun-est Toy Store Ever

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