There are two conflicting philosophies that I love: "Everything happens for a reason," as well as "you can change everything that you have control over."

I try to preface everything with "this isn't new." Because most social movements have happened before and I get that. Nothing I'm doing is new.

There are two conflicting philosophies that I love: "Everything happens for a reason," as well as "you can change everything that you have control over."

Part of why history is so important in my life is because it brings you an awareness that everything isn't new. It gives context to what's happening right now. History is cyclical but circumstances and technology change. So when social justice topics come up, they're not new. They're just being covered more. We have more ways to record it now.

Week-by-week you grow with your character and it's an interesting challenge.

I'm lucky; my parents have never said to me, "You're a kid, so you just don't know." They say, "How can we discuss the world and learn from these events together?"

There are so many times in life when you have to suppress what you're feeling. A lot of kids have to deal with that in a school environment: You're not allowed to be happy, sad, depressed, over the moon. Being an actor not only do I get to play an angsty teen, but I get the support that I need to be Yara.