Neither Vecna nor intensive college exams could stop Stranger Things star Noah Schnapp from achieving his goals.
The actor, 21, officially graduated from University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School with a bachelor’s degree in business, sharing photos of the milestone moment celebrated alongside his loved ones via Instagram on Monday, May 18.
“What, like it’s hard??? @uofpenn,” he captioned his post, dropping an iconic Elle Woods quote from 2001’s Legally Blonde after the fictional character, played by Reese Witherspoon, was accepted into Harvard Law School.
Noah was all smiles in a cap and gown as his family beamed with pride in a group photo including his twin sister, Chloe, and their parents, Karine and Mitchell Schnapp.
Noah posted snapshots of the field stacked with chairs and his fellow Class of 2026 graduates as well as a video showing him walking across the commencement stage in Philadelphia. His Stranger Things costar Millie Bobby Brown‘s husband, Jake Bongiovi, was among the stars who “liked” his post and congratulated him on the monumental accomplishment.
Penn President Larry Jameson gave his remarks during the ceremony, encouraging alumni to “cherish the arts,” “embrace nature” and “choose people.”
“The world will test you, but you are ready,” he told attendees. “Not because you have every answer, but because you have learned to ask better questions.”
Noah was at the ceremony days after attending the Cannes Film Festival for the premiere of El Ser Querido.
He completed his final courses after studying entrepreneurship and innovation while filming the fifth and final season of Stranger Things. Noah enrolled at the college in the fall of 2022.
“I was thinking of going for acting,” he previously told Flaunt magazine. “[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.”
Noah also dished about his snack brand, TBH, at the time, noting he wanted to create a product without palm oil and using better, more eco-friendly ingredients.
“I want to leverage my voice and use it to make a change on this Earth,” he shared.
In addition to pursuing his business endeavours while acting, Noah has also been utilizing his social media accounts to expand his reach.
“I love to use my platform just to share very important ideas,” he shared, “and just make people feel like they’re less alone in their struggles, and have someone to connect to, and relate to, and escape from, when they’re struggling with whatever they struggle with.”
