Yara Shahidi, who stars on the hit ABC show, ‘black-ish,’ as the oldest of the four (soon-to-be five) Johnson kids, is not only a talented actress and budding activist, but also a very smart young lady.
The 17-year-old is like many high school students her age who are watching their college acceptance letters come in. Shahidi recently told Seventeen magazine she was accepted into every college she applied. Having a recommendation letter from former First Lady Michelle Obama was probably the icing on the cake.
“I did get all of my college acceptances, and I’m keeping them close to the belt as of right now, but I got into every college I applied to,” she said to Seventeen.
“So that’s really exciting. I found all of that out last week. My college plans are all up in the air, but I will choose within the next month.”
Being an in-demand actress on one of the top sitcoms on television isn’t making Shahidi set her studies aside. She may actually be taking on more work than the average college student since she plans to double major.
“As much as I want free time, I love to challenge myself. And so it really goes back to the point that I want to study as much as possible, and a double major is the solution. “I have not decided on a minor. I don’t know if I am going to go more creative and do something in the arts or if I am going to do a social justice minor, so that is still up for debate.”
Art may be imitating life for Shahidi as there are plans for a black-ish spin-off that will show her character, Zoe’s life in college.
“The fact that Zoey is college-aged [makes it] important to address that. Because on a college campus — given the sociopolitical landscape of our society at the moment — we’re not only dealing with race policy that we got from black-ish [but also] the intersectionality of race, gender, sexuality and political views and ideals,” she said of the spin-off which just announced Trevor Jackson as a cast member.
We know Shahidi will have no problem balancing college life and being a full-time actress.
