OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) – The Oakland Unified School District added three new prestigious awards to their collection Sunday night, including Zendaya’s for making history as the youngest drama lead actress to win an Emmy for her role in the HBO series “Euphoria.”
Zendaya grew up in Oakland, and her mother Claire Stoermer taught at Fruitvale Elementary for 20 years.
According to the school district, Zendaya has helped tutor students.
Zendaya has also contributed to the donation of food and school supplies to thousands of families in Oakland.
The 24-year-old Zendaya became emotional after she took home the trophy for her role in the HBO series, scoring one of the few long shot victories Sunday night.
She is only the second Black actress to claim the lead drama actress award, following Viola Davis’ groundbreaking 2015 win for “How To Get Away With Murder.”
Another big winner of the night was Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, a 2004 McClymonds High School graduate, who won an Emmy for Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his work in “Watchmen” on HBO.
Additionally, current OUSD students won an Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Program for an HBO documentary “We Are The Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest.”
The Oakland Unified School District is California’s most diverse city in California. They’re dedicated to creating a learning environment where “Every Student Thrives!”
“Nothing about these Emmy wins comes as a surprise to me,” said Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell.
Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali, who was born in Oakland and raised in Hayward, also represented The Town with his nomination for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in “Ramy.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
