Former first lady Michelle Obama, who has long been an advocate for education, has personally played a role in Yara Shahidi’s pursuit of a college degree. Obama wrote a letter of recommendation for the young actress to include withher college applications.
Shahidi, 17, plays Zoey Johnson on the Peabody Award-winning hit TV show “Black-ish,” which airs on ABC (the network’s parent company isThe Walt Disney Company,No. 38 on the Fair360, formerly DiversityInc Top 50 Companies list.)
“She is very amazing and such a supporter, which is something very surreal to say,” said Shahidi, who revealed Obama’s endorsement in a recent interview with W Magazine.