Zaya Wade, the 17-year-old transgender daughter of former basketball star Dwyane Wade and actress Gabrielle Union, says she feels happier and more confident than ever since starting estrogen as part of her gender-affirming care regimen.

She recently told Seventeen magazine about the happiness she feels with the support of her parents as well as due to the opportunity to pursue her personal ambitions with Translatable, the nonprofit she set up with her father to empower LGBTQ+ youth and their parents.

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The election of the recent president “really knocked me back,” Zaya Wade admitted, adding, “I felt like I couldn’t stand up for a little bit. But then I realized it’s time to roll up my sleeves and keep going.”

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Since coming out as trans at age 12, Dwayne Wade and Union have become huge advocates for her and other trans youth, sharing their personal journeys in publications, public appearances and social media. Since then, Zaya Wade has served as a runway model for Miu Miu, created fashion collaborations with the athletic apparel company Puma and the eyewear designer Warby Parker, and emerged as a social media influencer.

“I’ve never been happier than how I am on estrogen,” she told Seventeen. “I just feel so perfect. I’m entering a new era this year. An era of so much more confidence in myself and in my body. I have big plans for myself. And also my community. I hope I inspire plenty of young girls out there.”

She hopes to help others through more than social media — though she admits, “It’s genuinely easy to express yourself [there].” But she also wants to make a difference through Translatable, a support and resource hub for trans kids, their parents and families that she co-founded with her father last year.

“I’m hopeful about [Translatable’s] ability to hold space for not just the trans community but the rest of the queer community,” she said. “So many people have already interacted with it, and we’ve gotten so much love. We’re working on collaborating with more brands — amazing organizations that I’ve either personally benefited from or know people who have.”

She expressed pride at her father becoming such a big ally, “Especially as an African American male, to be so openly and outwardly accepting. Because honestly, him being raised in a traditional Black household in Chicago… the culture there isn’t very queer-friendly.”

“I hope [my father’s public support of me] will continue to inspire people to allow themselves to learn and understand queerness before bashing it,” she said. She also noted they watch the LGBTQ+-inclusive teen romance series Heartstopper together on Netflix and that he tends to intimidate people who are interested in dating her, though she says — despite his tall height and booming voice — he’s really a “teddy bear” once you get to know him.

She also said she’s currently applying to colleges and universities where she can most safely express her Black and queer identities and “where I know I can find my community and my community can find me, and we can work together to keep the queer community across the country strong.”

No matter what the future brings, she’s likely to become an even bigger presence on social media, where she will continue to share her projects and collaborations as well as her personal fashion.

“When my mascara is on and my eyebrows are done, no one can stop me. I’m at the top of the world,” she said of her own cosmetic regimen. “And if you give me the right kind of lip gloss combo, I’m me. I’m me! With clothes, that’s a little bit of a persona I put on. But makeup and hair, that’s my heart and soul expression. And now the whole world gets to see my face the way that I see my face.”

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