Asa Smith Named 2026 Career Development Fellow

From LiveX classrooms to campus mentor, Smith continues their professional development at PCA&D

Asa Smith’s first real test as a live show director came at their high school graduation, where they controlled every screen, camera and video cue in an arena packed with a few thousand people. They only messed up once – no one noticed – and when it was over, they were shaking so hard from adrenaline that they grabbed the nearest thing to steady themselves: a banana. The school superintendent rounded the corner to shake their hand mid-bite.

It’s the kind of moment Smith comes back to when they talk about why they love live entertainment – the split-second pressure and the very human chaos underneath it. That instinct followed them to PCA&D’s Live Experience Design & Production program, known on campus as LiveX, where they learned to build the technical and artistic sides of live events – lighting, sound, video, production – into a single discipline.

Now a 2026 graduate, Smith has been named the College’s 2026 Career Development Fellow, a yearlong role supporting recent graduates as they build their professional portfolios, mentor current students and help lead The Agency, PCA&D’s student-run branding and marketing operation.

The fellowship is open to all graduating seniors and recent alumni from the previous academic year, and this cycle drew a record field.

“This past year, we had 19 applicants, an all-time high,” said Justin Phillips, PCA&D alumnus and Dean of Faculty and Academic Affairs. “Applicants are evaluated on a wide range of criteria, but we are really excited to hear about each applicant’s vision for the work they plan to explore as a fellow. If an applicant has clear goals and a vision for how they plan to utilize this opportunity for significant professional development, it makes them a much stronger and inspiring candidate.”

Smith’s application stood out for exactly that reason, said Holly Mosher, Director of Distance Education. “Asa stood out as a good fit for this fellowship because they showed initiative, curiosity, leadership and a commitment to personal and professional growth. They actively seek opportunities to learn and collaborate with others in their BFA degree, making a meaningful impact. Asa is not only committed to achieving their own goals but also eager to contribute to the PCA&D community.”

We sat down with Smith to talk about their PCA&D journey, what drew them to the fellowship and what they’re looking forward to in the year ahead.

What brought you to PCA&D, and how would you describe your experience?

I chose PCA&D because it checked a lot of boxes for me – none of the extra frills, just what actually served me as an artist. At my previous school, everything felt huge – not even small fish, big pond, more like being a drop in the ocean. I was an ant running around, passing people I’d never see again.

At PCA&D, I can look back semester by semester and point to a professor or a lesson that impacted me, and trace how it connected to something later. My PCA&D experience felt like a story instead of a blur of people, places and things. I’d encounter the same people over and over, and they knew who I was, and I knew who they were.

What drew you specifically to Live Experience Design & Production?

I was drawn to the LiveX program because it allowed me to combine two things I’d always felt like I had to choose between – technology and art. I met faculty member Alex Leonhart on my first tour, and she was the first person who could explain exactly what I was thinking before I could fully articulate it myself – lights, sound and sensory design combined with the experiential, artistic side. That was the connection that got me here.

What did you like about the LiveX program? Any projects that left a positive impact on you?

What I liked about the LiveX program is that the skills are transferable to a wide range of settings and environments, and the project-based learning means that we learn sooner rather than later that in the world of collaborative art, being adaptable and engaging in creative problem solving allows the show to go on. (We also learned that the show doesn’t have to go on!)

The projects that left the most positive impact on me were the ones where we created works that held emotions, had a point-of-view and asked the audience to experience something with us, as artists and technicians. More often than not, they opened their minds to engage in meaningful ways that left them feeling different after they left.

What are the three things you loved most about being a student at PCA&D and why?

The culture, the surroundings and the people. The culture on campus is cooperative, not competitive, and the people made it so by being fiercely supportive of students. Our campus is placed so precariously in the world, a small, artsy city campus in the middle of Pennsylvania’s agricultural industry, where our neighbors are artists, musicians, dancers, yogis and more. The people – staff, faculty, students – make PCA&D a soft landing spot for students who want to grow and develop professional creatives.

What drew you to the Career Development Fellowship?

First, continued access to PCA&D’s facilities and resources. I’m excited to use them without the pressure of a grade attached.

Second, mentorship. I believe strongly in informed consent – that people deserve all the information before making a decision as big as college. When I worked on campus as a student ambassador, I’d sit down with prospective students for hours and tell them everything. I want the fellowship to be part of that same mentorship – helping students know how to advocate for themselves and get the most out of what PCA&D offers.

Third, there’s a professional piece. Touring work is unpredictable – you don’t know when your first gig will come, and it’s not going to be during the off–season. So, I want to use this year to build skills and open doors, including for other PCA&D students.

What is your ultimate career goal?

I’d love to do video technical direction for touring entertainment – concerts, theater, dance, all of it. Just as much, I want to be a mentor – a soft landing spot for young adults figuring out what they want to do. I think about the teachers who impacted me, and I want to be that for someone else. Someone’s reason to say, “You’re alive, and you’re like me – I’ll keep going so I can be like you someday.”

Why would you recommend PCA&D to a prospective student?

I would recommend PCA&D to a prospective student because it is a harbor of resources, mostly people, who want to see young artists grow and develop their craft – not only with the intention of turning some of those young artists into career artists but instilling a competence and confidence in art and design skills that can take you in multiple directions. Right now, a lot of our world is based in visuals and images, and being able to look at these images with a critical understanding sets you apart from the crowd, which is where some of us artists thrive best.