At just 17, one thing that Zaya Wade is most proud of is her academic career. “Being me, being a scientist, looking fabulous. What else?” The geek in her does not take much time to come out. But academics isn’t just a thing for her, a degree to show, or a merit of being educated. You see, when her father Dwyane Wade joined Marquette as Prop 48, he was academically ineligible as a freshman. But his talents got him the scholarship. However, he has made sure what he could not have, his children will. And Zaya knows it as she once argued, “If I can’t see it, I need to be it. Who else is going to fill the blank in my mind about a Black trans scientist?” 

She has interest in STEM, and moving into college, she will take up Astrobiology as her major to study life on other planets and has certainly thought about going into space if an opportunity occurred, even if the answer is “No. I mean, I don’t know… For now, I like Earth just fine.” From walking for Miu Miu at the Paris Fashion Week, changing the world with her father at Translatable, and becoming the face of MAC Cosmetics’ “Born Famous” campaign, Zaya has certainly fulfilled huge dreams for Wade who is, “Proudest of most is Zaya has maintained a 4.0 gpa for her entire life🔥.” Gabrielle Union, on the other hand, is “scared but excited” as Zaya steps into the next step of her life – college – and still needs to make her choice.

Talking to Seventeen while appearing on their cover, she clarified, “Even if I’m in a blue state or blue city or blue county, it’s not to say that it will be free of Black and queer discrimination. But I’m obviously factoring in the safer choices.” Although she hasn’t chosen one yet, any school would be rooting to enroll Zaya who has a resume boasting activism for LGBTQ+ people, as well as a cover story and a strong social following under her belt. But for now, it’s time for her to celebrate the achievements in one of the biggest nights a high schooler can wish for– the prom! And she has some sneak peeks for us.

Recently, Zaya shared photos before her senior prom, with a simple caption, “senior prom 🩶”. The black-and-white filtered pictures showed off her flowy dress for the prom detailed with netted material and flower accents. Even Wade couldn’t help but commented, “We Love You.” And because once isn’t enough for a father to see his daughter attend one of the biggest school nights, he again commented, “Love.” 

We can see why in a post she added previously, the caption was directed towards her father, “Senior pics 🖤 try not to cry, dad.” So Dwyane simply replied, “Just proud that I get to see this day 😍”. Union commented with several hearts and even Kaavia James added heart eyes emojis for another black-and-white filtered images she added. So with the high school wrapped up, Zaya is all up for the future.

Earlier during the Seventeen interview, she had claimed, “I’m entering a new era this year. An era of so much more confidence in myself and in my body. I have big plans for myself, most importantly. And also my community. I hope I inspire plenty of young girls out there”. Her words speak volumes about how far she’s come. But they also hint at how deeply she wants to give back.

Now that she is preparing to say farewell to her high school life, it will be interesting to see what moves she makes. One question lingers: will she chase college dreams or dive headfirst into fashion?

Gabrielle Union shares Zaya’s college plans and sweet sister bond

As the Wade family gears up for Zaya’s next big chapter, emotions are running high, especially for Gabrielle Union. Speaking from the 2025 Met Gala blue carpet, the actress revealed that the whole family is feeling “scared but excited” as Zaya prepares to head off to college. And she did not just pick up any major – Zaya’s diving into astrobiology. Union joked, “[She’s] an astrobiology major. So we can’t help with that. We haven’t been able to help with homework since the fourth grade, but we’re excited for next year.” It’s clear they’re proud, even if they’re still catching up to her brilliance.

But before she goes, Zaya’s soaking up all the time she can with her little sister Kaavia. Union shared a sweet detail: both girls attend the same school, and Zaya regularly visits Kaavia during her lunch break. “So during Kaav’s lunch, Zaya comes and hangs out with Kaav. And this is really special that they’re at the same school, at least for one year,” she said. For six-year-old Kaav, that bond is everything, especially knowing big sis won’t be around much longer. These little moments have become the heart of their final school year together.

Beyond school and science, Zaya’s also navigating her teenage life, dating included. In her Seventeen interview, she opened up about her family’s take on it. “Me and my stepmom love to dish the dirt and tap into the high school gossip,” Zaya said, adding that Gabrielle loves hearing all the high school gossip.

But her dad? That’s a different story. “My dad… he tries to scare any person I have interest in. He’s kind of intimidating.” With his size and deep voice, it’s no surprise. Yet Zaya added, “He’s a teddy bear,” proving that behind the tough exterior is just a protective, loving dad.