Zaya Wade admitted she wouldn’t be where she is today if it wasn’t for her loving family.
During her first ever cover shoot, the 15-year-old expressed how grateful she is for her "giant support system" — led by her dad, Dwyane Wade, and her stepmother, Gabrielle Union.
Zaya — who came out as transgender in 2020 — revealed she feels most empowered "when my family surrounds me."
"They are such a giant support system and have always been there for me. No matter what happens, I feel strongest when I'm with them," the aspiring model — who recently made her catwalk debut for Miu Miu at Paris Fashion Week — explained.
Most of all, Zaya — who recently had her name and gender legally changed against her mother Siohvaughn Funches’ wishes — credited her stepmom for teaching her some unforgettable life lessons along the way.
As Zaya learns to grow from a young teenage girl into the woman she dreams to be, the Bring It On actress has instructed her to always remember "beauty is in yourself."
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"It's about being you and expressing yourself the way you want to. She tries to teach me that beauty standards are arbitrary and that they don't mean anything. They don't matter anymore; what people thought was the standard is not. And just that being myself is the best technique out there," she explained of what her beloved stepmom taught her.
She continued to state that there is no perfect path when it comes to self-growth, noting it's important to keep learning as society transforms as a whole.
"So many big changes have happened over the last couple of years with me, but also just in general. I think it's not my job, but it's my honor to continue and further my family's education and appreciation for the entire LBGTQ+ community as we grow together," the cover girl shared.
"As our understanding of acceptance has broadened over the past couple of years, we have made the strides to keep ourselves educated and combat the ignorance," Zaya concluded.
DAZED spoke to Zaya for the magazine cover shoot.
