Name: Leo Manning
Major: Digital Art and Multimedia Design, Psychology
Graduation Year: Class of 2018 (May 2018)
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Sports/Clubs/Organizations: Epsilon Sigma Alpha, Late Night La Salle, Collegian, Campus Activities Center, Honors Program

What helped you decide on majoring in DArt?
I originally came in as a Psychology major, but during my first semester I began to miss all of the graphic design work I did in my high school photography class. Then I declared DArt as my second major. After taking a bunch of the Digital Art courses, I realized that I was more interested in working as a graphic designer than as a therapist.

What is your favorite digital design medium/technique?
I’m a huge fan of using Adobe Illustrator with my Wacom tablet for most of my design work.

What has your experience in La Salle’s DArt Program been like so far?
It’s been interesting. Instead of focusing on just graphic design, animation, or web coding, I’ve learn a lot in each area, making me feel like a jack-of-all-trades. However, even though the program covers a wide range, I still feel as though I’ve learned a lot from each area and could work in multiple fields.

What do you hope to do with your degree after graduating?
I would like to work as a graphic designer or a web designer, and eventually get my master’s degree and teach as a professor.

Who are some people who you look up to and help keep you inspired?
A lot of my inspiration actually comes from other students in my major and seeing all of the work that they do. Seeing everyone else’s projects and hearing their thoughts helps me strive to work harder and get better.

What has been your favorite class in or out of the program so far?
My top two classes have been HON 374: Global London and CSD 340: Web Scripting. Global London was a travel study to London where we learned the history and the literature of the city and then traveled there to explore the city itself. Web Scripting was a coding class that was different because aside from creating useful code, it also allowed me to use the code to create something more artistic.

Who has been the most influential member of the La Salle community on your life?
I believe that the most influential member of the La Salle community on my life would be Mina Koller, the assistant director for campus activities. From my time working in the Campus Activities Center and for Late Night La Salle, I have developed so much as a designer, an artist, and a leader. Her constructive criticism on my flyer designs pushed me to create more original designs and try harder on any designs I create.

If you could have dinner with any three people at La Salle, who would they be?
Mina Koller (Assistant Director for Campus Activities), Professor Sandy Camomile (Digital Art and Multimedia Design), and Dr. David Falcone (Psychology).

How do you think La Salle is helping to prepare you for the future beyond college?
Primarily, La Salle is helping me develop my design skills. The different classes that I have taken have provided me different opportunities to practice different skills and to experiment with different ideas. In addition, my time working on-campus have given me invaluable experience about working with clients and working in a real-world setting.

What is your advice to any high school students thinking about entering the DArt program at La Salle?
When entering the DArt program at La Salle, the main things that you need are passion and patience. The passion is what drives you to try your hardest on every project, while the patience helps you achieve what seems unachievable.