Emerge at Auburn Presents: Yara Shahidi sponsored by Delta Air Lines set for Jan. 16

Emerge at Auburn will kick off its third year of hosting prestigious keynote speakers in partnership with Delta Air Lines by featuring actress, producer and change agent Yara Shahidi, star of Freeform’s “grown-ish.” Shahidi will speak on Jan. 16 at 5 p.m. in the Student Center ballroom.

Freeform’s “grown-ish” explores popular teen Zoey Johnson’s transition into adulthood as well as issues facing both students and administrators in the world of higher education. The show is a spinoff of ABC’s Emmy nominated “black-ish,” where Shahidi’s character balances adulthood with academia.

Since 2014, Shahidi has been awarded a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress, a Gracie Award for a Female in a Breakthrough Role and she was recently highlighted on TIME Magazine’s annual 30 Most Influential Teens list on behalf of her television contributions and humanitarianism.

Off-screen, Shahidi continues to use her platform to inspire others to be engaged in the political process. In 2016, the young star launched Eighteen to educate and motivate first time voters to turn out for the 2018 mid-term elections. Shahidi continues to champion STEM programs and resources for young students across the country and used her platform to advocate for funding for classrooms in need of science and tech resources. Shahidi also collaborated with the Obama administration on several White House STEM initiatives. 

The Emerge at Auburn and Delta Air Lines partnership has brought to campus prestigious keynote speakers and industry leaders including ESPN college football analyst and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, attorney and activist Jordyne Blaise and Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first female Muslim-American to compete at the Olympics wearing a hijab.

A recent gift from the airline extends Delta’s support for Emerge at Auburn, the umbrella organization for student leadership programs, for a third year by providing all Auburn students the opportunity to learn from successful leaders in their respective fields on topics related to the Emerge at Auburn program.

Through its meaningful leadership development opportunities, Emerge at Auburn guides students as they become successful, ethical and effective leaders. To date, more than 3,100 students have participated in Emerge’s programs and initiatives.

Emerge at Auburn Presents: Yara Shahidi sponsored by Delta Air Lines is free for all Auburn students with a Mobile Event Pass and is open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP at aub.ie/emergepresents.

To learn more about Emerge at Auburn, visit aub.ie/emerge.