May 6, 2022
BY NOAH A. McGEE - THE ROOT
What were you doing at 19-years-old? Graduating high school? Freshman in college? Wondering what your summer job was going to be? That’s what most people at that age are doing.
But for one 19-year-old, she is preparing to represent clients in court.
Haley Taylor Schlitz is not only set to become the youngest law school graduate at Southern Methodist University ever, but she is also going to become the youngest African American law school graduate in the history of the United States, according to a news release from the university.
I mean, talk about an historic accomplishment.
I won’t ever get tired of Black excellence, especially when it comes from a woman.
Three years ago when she was 16-years-old, she was accepted into nine different law schools. She opted for SMU’s Dedman School of Law.
More from SMU’s news release:
And Haley knows where she is going: After she graduates from SMU Dedman Law on May 13, she hopes to work on education policy issues for an elected official or non-profit organization. Haley is also interested in increasing the opportunities for gifted and talented girls and students of color.
“I really want to help students realize their potential even if they can’t home-school,” Taylor Schlitz told the Dallas Morning News. “I want to help families open their eyes to the opportunities that they don’t even realize are there.”
Some of her honors and activities at the university include serving as a mentor in the Young Scholar Program, an organization where young Black women mentor and develop leadership skills for young Black girls, according to the news release.
Haley and her mother, Dr. Myiesha Taylor, published their book, The Homeschool Alternative, which shares their experiences with homeschooling and how Black families can blend a “homeschool mindset” into their children’s education.
In June 2020, a 17-year-old Haley ran for and was elected to serve as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, becoming one of the youngest delegates that year, according to her website.
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