In an exclusive interview with Essence, Yara Shahidi shared insights into her transformative college experience at Harvard. The talented 23-year-old actress graduated in 2022 with a Bachelor's degree in African-American studies from this esteemed Ivy League institution.

When asked why attending college was important to her in terms of building a foundation for her career Shahidi shared, “ I think college provided a safe space to do a lot of growing up, particularly in figuring out what I believed and actually having the time to study and figure things out–especially as somebody that’s been outspoken from a young age. I think it gave me time with myself to just be very reflective, in which the stakes weren’t as high.”

Yara's dedication to her education and self-care is evident in her journey as an actress. She gained recognition for her role as Zoey Johnson on the hit sitcom Black-ish, a show that explores racial identity and culture within a modern black family. With her success in the role, she then went on to star in the spin-off series Grown-ish, which follows Zoey's college experience and highlights important issues facing young adults today. While filming Grown-ish she was a student at Harvard

Article Continues Below
Related HBCU News
Urban Edge Network is partnering with Minority Prospects to broadcast a baseball & softball HBCU All-Star Weekend.
Urban Edge Network, Minority Prospects partner for HBCU All-Star WeekendRandall Barnes ·
Former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms says that she may run for Governor of Georgia in 2026 following leaving the White House.
Keisha Lance Bottoms officially launches bid for GovenorKiya Wimbush-Robinson ·
Former North Carolina A&T player, Caleb Jones announced his retirement from the game of football in a heartfelt instagram post.
North Carolina A&T lands former Maryland quarterbackRandall Barnes ·
Florida A&M University Board of Trustees interviews Group Vice President of state government affairs for Charter Communications Marva Johnson
The danger of Marva Johnson as Florida A&M’s next presidentRandall Barnes ·
Michael Strahan in attendance during the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500
Michael Strahan drops bold take on Taylor Swift, Kansas City ChiefsRandall Barnes ·
The CIAA is gearing up for its 79th Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament, which is set to take place in late February and early March
CIAA Tournament location gets huge multi-year updateRandall Barnes ·

Yara emphasizes the significance of achieving a “balanced life” by embracing both personal growth and academic excellence during one's college journey.

“I think especially in high school and college, it’s easy to take pride in the all-nighters and the lack of sleep and like, when’s the last time you ate a meal,” she said in the Essence feature. “I think the one thing that I finally had gotten to [see] is it’s not as cute as it sounds and you actually don’t win any points. And so the closest we can strive to have a more balanced life, the better, which is, again, why this was meaningful to me because this is the support I needed for my work-life balance, calling in that extra help, having a teacher that I talked to work through a problem so I wasn’t spending double the time trying to do it by myself.”