Dan Sardaro from the Knight Crier Update continues education at La Salle

Continuing his education at La Salle University, Dan Sardaro, a North Penn alum more commonly known as “Dan Sardaro from the Knight Crier Update,” is not only earning a communication degree with a focus in PR, but also pursuing an English major. Throughout his high school career, Sardaro was most involved with the Knight Crier, and in addition to being a member of the key club, he participated in the Mr. North Penn contest.

Tell me about your involvement at NPHS.

“During my years at North Penn, I was involved most with the Knight Crier. I joined in my junior year not knowing exactly what I would be doing, but before I knew it, I was publishing my own writing on a website that anybody could read. To me at the time, I loved the idea that my own thoughts and words could be published on a medium that essentially anyone could access. My senior year marked an additional role in the Knight Crier – ‘Dan Sardaro from the Knight Crier Update.’ That position helped bolster my public speaking skills, and I’d have to say it was pretty fun.

Another influential part of my time at North Penn was the Mr. North Penn contest, something that I will always remember as being one of the funniest, yet most meaningful experiences of my high school career. I made some great friends doing it. Yes, the twelve of us were supposed to be competing with  each other, but it never felt that way. We were learning dance moves in yoga pants, practicing our performances and saying lines with one another. In the end, that night in February became something that we all felt extremely proud of.

I also was involved with Key Club which has helped me pursue service at La Salle, and I was in Jazz band both my sophomore and junior years at North Penn.”

What are some unforgettable moments you’ve had at college so far?

“My most memorable moment of college so far was this past September 28th, the day Michelle Obama came to speak at La Salle. My friends and I waited outside the arena where she was speaking for almost two hours, donuts and coffee in hand, then waited another couple of hours inside to get front row seats. When she came on stage at noon, the crowd went absolutely nuts. To see one of the most influential First Ladies come and speak to our small, Philly school was incredible. Her words were directed at the current election then, but even though she had an agenda, she made her speech so personable to each and every one of us in the audience. She exited the stage with an eruption of cheers from students on both sides of the political spectrum. I’ll never forget that.

Oh, yeah, and meeting Carson Wentz at La Salle’s chapel was also pretty cool. He really is tall.”

What’s the most significant thing you’ve learned from college?

“My parents, especially my dad, have always told me this: whatever you put into something is what you’re going to get out of it. There is no better way of understanding that statement than applying it college. In the college experience, you are the captain of your own ship. You have the power to take yourself to new places and experience things you might never have anticipated, but that all comes with passion and effort. The one thing I have learned from college is to choose something you are passionate about and place behind it everything you’ve got. This is the time to prove what you love and do best.”

What impact did NPSD have on you?

“North Penn has cultivated me into the person I am today. It has given me so many things to be thankful for – friends, knowledge, experience, a healthy learning environment, and lifelong memories are just a few of the things I have received. It’s good to know that so many kids now are getting the same invaluable things I received.”

How did North Penn prepare you for college?

“I think North Penn challenged me almost every day. Besides for challenging me academically to do my best, I also was challenged in my ways of thinking. I tried to take advantage of the abundance of electives North Penn offered me, ranging from technology, music, art, social sciences, and others. I’ve found that in a way, that’s how college is, too. I’ve been fortunate to have been able to take a variety of courses at La Salle, courses which span topics from film studies to animal cognition. So North Penn prepped me in the sense that the world requires you to have a broad knowledge base. I’d like to think that someday, somehow, I will incorporate those things I’ve picked up into a job.”

What do you miss most about NPHS?

“I certainly do miss some things about North Penn, but above all, I really do miss the people. The teachers and faculty have left such a positive imprint on me. Countless teachers – Mr. Manero, Mr. Adams, Mr. Berardelli, Ms. Machado, Mr. Britcher, and Mr. Travers just to name a few – taught me about their specific field of expertise, but also taught me about things bigger than just logarithms, vocab words, college applications, and notes in a scale. The things I garnered from the people there will always be part of my personal foundation and I am forever grateful.”

What do you enjoy about college?

“Opportunity presents itself at every corner. I advise to anyone going into college to take advantage of as many opportunities as you can because you might never get the chance to do something again. For instance, service is something that has become part of my identity. I will be traveling to Browning, Montana for a week in May on a La Salle service trip aimed at helping the rurally impoverished Blackfeet Native American Reservation. Thinking ahead, my goal right after my senior year is to travel to Kenya for three weeks on another service trip sponsored by La Salle. Tutoring neighborhood kids around La Salle is also something I do weekly and something I look forward to. Along with service, I am becoming the general manager of WEXP, La Salle’s internet radio. While eventually helping manage our station next year, I’ll continue my own music show for one hour each week.”

What are your future plans?

“I seem to be asked this question once a week, so you would think I would have the answer. I don’t. With every class I take, with each new professional I meet, and with each story I hear, my idea of a “future” changes course ever so slightly. I do know this however: I want to use my ability to write to do some sort of good in the world. If I have learned one thing from college, it’s that we as people are all are so different from one another. If I can use writing to tell a story, shed light on a topic, change a viewpoint, or help someone doing good while simultaneously learning myself about the world I live in, I think I would be pretty satisfied with that.”