Here's What Yara Shahidi Is Studying At School

Being thrust into the spotlight at a young age isn't easy for anyone, and over the years, we've seen firsthand as young actors have struggled to come of age in the public eye. But in recent years (and a few cautionary tales later), many young actors are now instead focused on using their platform to bring awareness to causes they believe in and providing a positive example for those who look up to them.

Take Yara Shahidi, for example. The actress made her debut as Zoey Johnson on "Black-ish" when she was only 13 years old, before eventually headlining the show's spin-off "Grown-ish" (via Entertainment Weekly). In the years since, Shahidi has taken on activism, in addition to acting. In fact, in honor of the star's 18th birthday, she hosted a voting party, complete with a registration booth, to ensure the ease of her attendees' signing up to vote. She even launched an organization entitled Eighteen x 18 in order to impress upon her peers the importance of voting and staying active year in and year out.

Shahidi, who was raised in a "humanitarian family" comes to her activism naturally. "I think it's normal now to be on the cusp of many different emerging identities, which makes it more important not only to advocate for the things you're familiar with but to intentionally educate yourself and expand," she explained to Town and Country.