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Zaya Wade shared some insight into her life away at college
While chatting with E! News, the teenager admitted that being away from her parents, Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union, is “hard,” but also “exciting”
During the conversation, Zaya also shared some of the advice her dad gave her
Zaya Wade is sharing some insight into her life away at college.
While chatting with E! News at the second annual ball for Translatable, a non-profit organization started by the 18-year-old and her dad, Dwyane Wade, to create a safe space for LGBTQIA+ youth, Zaya opened up about her first year at college. The teenager, who’s a freshman, admitted that being away from her parents — Gabrielle Union, 53, and the former NBA star, 44 — is “hard.”
“Being away from your parents is hard,” she said. “It’s really hard, but also it’s exciting, and it’s fun, and it’s freeing and I think I’ve learned to get out of my shell a lot more and be more sociable.”
“And I feel like I can go up to people that I’ve never met and just strike up a conversation,” she added. “I think I’m just starting to connect with people more, and I think that’s what college is about, just connection.”
Zaya also shared some of the advice that her dad gave her before heading off to college.
“My dad told me not to mess it up, that he is paying tuition, and it is expensive,” she shared jokingly of her dad’s advice. “And I would hope that I am doing that.”
“I’m just trying to focus on doing my classes, but also having fun and understanding more about myself as I’m growing into my individuality as an adult,” she continued. “But really just taking the time to understand the difference between school me and friend me and real me and just really enriching all of my individual experiences. I think that’s what they wanted for me, just to be a more encompassed version of myself.”
Union recently caught up with PEOPLE for a recent PEOPLE 10 in 10 interview, and shared that Zaya is currently “very, very happy” pursuing her love of science.
“She’s found other people who are just as into research and data and astrobiology,” the doting mom shared.
“I’m gonna say that [Dwyane and I] probably failed in that department,” she jokingly added. “Because she would say things and we’re like [nods head], and I’m just trying to Google under the table — I have no idea what [she’s] talking about.”
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“She’s working with some of the world’s leading biologists,” Union added. “So she’s very, very happy where she’s at.”
In addition to pursuing her degree, Zaya is also a vocal LGBTQ+ activist. The model and influencer came out as transgender in 2020 and has been consistently speaking up about the importance of queer rights. During the PEOPLE in 10 interview, Union shared her advice for parents navigating how to best support kids on a similar journey.
“As long as you lead with love and that your child knows that you will be there no matter what, and [that] we can figure this out together and that I’m gonna make mistakes but please correct me … so I can learn to not make the same mistakes more than once …. As long as you start with, ‘My child is not disposable,’ [you] kinda can’t go wrong after that,” Union said.
“Just lead with love and respect,” she added. “Your child’s peace and safety should be your number one concern. Less … ‘How are the neighbors or family members going to react?’ ”
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