Haley Carolyn Taylor Schlitz

Haley Taylor Schlitz is a HERstory maker, author, public speaker and respected thought leader on the issues students of color face in navigating gifted and talented programs in our public schools. Schlitz has spent the last few years of her life pursuing education excellence. In May of 2022, she became the youngest Black American to ever graduate from law school in the history of the United States.​

In 2016, at the age of 13, Schlitz graduated high school and started her undergraduate education at Tarrant County Community College’s Northeast campus. After one year at TCC, Schlitz applied to and was accepted to over 15 undergraduate institutions as a transfer student. Schlitz chose to attend Texas Woman’s University because she embraced the university’s stated purpose to “Educate a woman, empower the world.” Her concern about the lack of diversity in our nation’s gifted and talented programs, and her own experience of being denied multiple times to be tested for the program in our public schools, influenced her in selecting a major in Interdisciplinary Studies within TWU’s College of Professional Education. She graduated Magna Cum Laude and was honored for her academic success by being selected as the student speaker during her graduation ceremony. Schlitz is the youngest graduate on record from Texas Woman’s University.

While at Texas Woman’s University, Schlitz continued her strong commitment to leadership and public service. She was elected to the Texas Woman’s University Student Senate as the representative for the College of Professional Education. As a Student Senator, Schlitz led the effort to rewrite and strengthen the TWU Student Government Association Constitution and the Student Senate’s Bylaws. Additionally, Schlitz led the fight in the Student Senate to build a coalition to publicly support DACA students and their families.

In addition to her leadership at TWU, Schlitz has been active in other international efforts to bring positive change to our world. At the age of 14, she was selected as one of 15 students for The Representation Project’s Global Youth Advisory Council. In this role, she helped create and lead campaigns to engage youth on addressing social stereotypes women face in our world. Schlitz is also active in community and public policy discussions. She ran for and was elected as the youngest delegate ever to the Texas Democrat Party convention. Her activity in local, state and national politics led to her serving as the speaker to introduce Senator Kamala Harris at a public event in Tarrant County.

Additionally, Schlitz served as one of the keynote speakers for the opening night of the National Association For Gifted Children Convention. Schlitz spoke about her experiences of being denied access to gifted and talented programs in public school and how crucial it was to expand beyond stereotypes for students of color. Schlitz focused on the need to stop seeing students of color as a problem and start seeing them for their full potential to be the solution to many of the crucial issues that face our world. Last summer, the Los Angeles Sparks invited her to serve as the COO For A Day where she was honored for her academic success during halftime of a game.

In 2019, Schlitz decided that a legal education would help her pursue her passion to make positive change in our world. Schlitz’s academic success at such an early age led to international media coverage and her decision to attend SMU Dedman School of Law was broadcast live on Good Morning America. In addition to her interview on Good Morning America, Schlitz was featured in the American Bar Association’s ABA Journal, Law.com, Ebony, Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star Telegram and on the local news broadcasts of CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox.

On February 28, 2020, Schlitz was featured by Beyonce as one of her This Is Black History 2020 honorees. Also in 2020, Schlitz was crowned Miss Keller and Miss Tarrant County Outstanding Teen, and was elected to serve as a delegate for Vice President Joe Biden to the Democratic National Convention. Schlitz is one of the youngest people elected to serve as a DNC delegate in 2020.

Schlitz is also a published author. In 2019, Schlitz and her mother Dr. Myiesha Taylor published their book "The Homeschool Alternative." The book captures their experience as a homeschooling family and provides resources to Black families on how they can incorporate a “homeschool mindset” into their education journey.

Recently, Schlitz was selected as one of six national editors for the prestigious American Bar Association Law Student Division. She was also named the host of the new online show "Zooming In w/Gen Z" that is produced by Citizen Ed. The show is a fast paced news and interviews that focus on the world through the eyes of Generation Z. Schlitz is also a member of the Alpha Pi Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority in Fort Worth, Texas. She is also a member of the National Black Law Students Association, American Mensa, Intertel and Davidson Young Scholars.

Schlitz continues to enjoy playing the harp and piano. She is a sabre and epee fencer and performs original spoken words works at the DaVerse Lounge in Dallas, Texas. In her free time, she enjoys playing video games with her siblings and drawing. She appreciates her family and loves any opportunity to spend time together.