Meet Andrea Knapp: TV/Film Major and 2024 Leadership Scholarship Winner

Allentown, Pa.  

1. Why TV/film?

I just love telling stories. It was always so much fun for me. As I got older, I knew I wanted to go into the arts. Through the support of my parents, I decided to take the leap of faith to go into film. 

I love being able to tell fun stories, but also, we have a lot of family in the military. I’m working on a minor in history to specialize in period films and to tell historical stories. 

2. When you were looking at DeSales, what made you feel connected to campus?

I was a theatre kid in high school, and I actually competed from sophomore year on in the Shakespeare competition here. So that’s how I found out about the school. 

My mid-junior year in high school, I decided to tour campus. I met with the professors, and they were amazing. They were all so engaging and hands-on with me, and I wasn’t even a student yet. 

3. Tell us about your Orientation and first-year experience so far. 

My biggest challenge was getting out of my introverted nest. I like to say DeSales will politely throw you in head-first. 

My biggest challenge was Orientation because there was just so much going on. But I ended up competing in volleyball and the dance competition. I was petrified, but I remember feeling so good that I actually pushed myself to do it.  

4. Which DeSales core value do you embody most and why?

Hospitality. My roommate and I started movie nights with a lot of TV/film majors in Dorothy Day. We just finished the “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy. 

Just being the one to say, “Hey, let’s all go to this event.” That’s what I strive to embody the most. 

5. Advice for future Leadership Scholarship applicants? 

Trust your gut. I had people telling me to not waste my talents in the arts. I was told to go into teaching or go into law. But I knew in my gut that TV/film was where I wanted to be. 

So, trust your gut and explore everything. In the end, even though you’re young, you still know what you want to do. No one can really tell you that. 

The Leadership Scholarship is a full-tuition scholarship offered to six students who have shown outstanding leadership in their high school careers and who plan to continue to develop those skills at DeSales. The deadline to submit your application, essay, and resume is Sunday, December 1, 2024.