Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp is officially a University of Pennsylvania graduate.
The actor, 21, received his bachelor's degree from Penn's Wharton School of Business on Monday after balancing his coursework with production on the fifth and final season of Netflix's hit sci-fi series.
Schnapp, who enrolled at the Ivy League university in 2022, previously said he chose to study business rather than pursue a degree related to acting.
Explaining his decision to attend business school, Schnapp told Flaunt magazine:
“I was thinking of going for acting… [But] acting was just kind of repetitive, and I wanted to try something new… I thought it would make more sense to do something different. And business was a pretty clear next thing for me.”
The milestone comes after nearly four years of balancing academics with his career as one of the stars of Stranger Things, where he has portrayed Will Byers since the series debuted in 2016.
Schnapp even included a cheeky Elle Woods-approved nod to Legally Blonde:
“What, like it’s hard?”
The Instagram photo carousel documenting his commencement day included photos of the actor in his cap and gown posing alongside his twin sister, Chloe Schnapp, and his parents, Karine and Mitchell Schnapp, as well as a video of him crossing the stage to receive his diploma.
You can view the post here:
Whether any of his Stranger Things co-stars were in attendance has yet to be revealed, but Schnapp is not the only cast member to juggle higher education with a successful acting career.
Millie Bobby Brown enrolled in online classes at Purdue University in 2022, while Joe Keery and Natalia Dyer previously attended DePaul University and New York University, respectively. Maya Hawke also briefly studied at Juilliard before leaving to focus on acting full-time.
The post generated plenty of reactions from Stranger Things fans, with commenters sharing both messages of congratulations and some shadier opinions.
View the reactions here:
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And while many fans know him as Will Byers, Schnapp has long emphasized the importance of education alongside his acting career.
Reflecting on his upbringing during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Schnapp said:
"Growing up, education was always so important. Even on set, I went through so many different teachers. My parents were like, 'He's not being educated well enough. He needs a math [teacher] and a different English teacher."
With Stranger Things nearing its end, Schnapp's graduation marks another major milestone beyond Hawkins. If nothing else, it's proof that Will Byers' real-life counterpart is doing just fine.
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