Layla Love
SHINING BRIGHT
story by NAKEISHA DAWSON THOMPSON photos courtesy of THE SMALLS FAMILY
Layla Simone Love, St. Helena Island native, is an extraordinary young lady in every aspect. Layla not only excels in her academics, but she also excels at being a loving, caring, and thoughtful human being. Layla’s family roots are deeply embedded in the culture and history of the Gullah Geechee people and St. Helena Island. Layla and her family are members of the Bahá’í Faith, a world religion that believes in the oneness of mankind and that all religions come from one God. Layla is the baby girl of four children. She is a twin of a deceased sister who she is very proud of. She has experienced the loss of her brother Julian (age 16), whom she honors daily by wearing his #11 when she plays sports with her school.
Layla has lived a life of service to her community from an early age. She began at Lady’s Island and St. Helena elementary schools. She attributes her love for service to these two schools, which exposed her and other students to the culture of this community. Layla has been involved in community service through Bahá’í, giving back to local organizations, like Citizens Opposed To Domestic Abuse (CODA). Layla was the one child in the faith that participated in their community service then. Layla led and coordinated the community service project with CODA.
Layla recently graduated from Whale Branch Early College High School, where she continued her desire for service by participating in Ladies First, a female group focused on community service, giving back, and female empowerment. She enjoys playing basketball and volleyball, listening to music, reading, and is “totally in love with engineering and aerospace.” Layla has been on the volleyball and basketball varsity teams since 9th grade and has played AAU basketball and club volleyball. Layla was the Homecoming Queen in her junior year and is currently on the executive board of Ladies First. She served on the Student Advisory Council and was a Student Ambassador, Vice President of the Senior Class, and Vice President of the Student Athletic Leadership Council in 2022. Layla loves art and is proud of her favorite piece by Amari Farris called “Moja Mask Dance.”
When asked what sparked her desire for engineering and aerospace, Layla says she had a teacher in the third grade that introduced her and her classmates to a show called CNN10 that taught her about the Rosetta spacecraft. Her interest was piqued, leading her into technology and coding. Layla’s desire from that point on only grew with time, and she has worked diligently to achieve the goals she set for herself, including studying to become a NASA engineer.
She was recently honored this past April. Layla was one of 70 seniors throughout the state of SC recognized by Boeing and Tallo, an online platform connecting talent with opportunities, to be honored at South Carolina STEM Signing Day 2023. This event was presented by The Boeing Company, BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC, Nucor Corporation, Ingevity, SC Future Makers, and SC Manufacturers Alliance. Layla was recognized as a representative for Beaufort County alongside talent from across the state. Governor McMaster and state legislators, members from each of the sponsors, and Boeing executives were present to honor those seniors planning to pursue a STEM career.
Layla has been accepted into the Aerospace Engineering programs at Tuskegee, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Embry-Riddle, Florida Institute of Technology, Alabama A&M, Claflin, and several others. She received several scholarships from several colleges. Embry-Riddle has offered Layla the Presidential Scholarship and the Women’s Leadership Award. She was also awarded a scholarship from the Beaufort Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
Layla has finally selected her school. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL, has the honor of having Layla as a student, and she wants to announce it in this story. Layla has been blessed with the opportunity to be mentored by Boeing and NASA representatives, who have helped guide her to the schools that would benefit her aerospace/aeronautical education.
She aspires to obtain her degree in engineering and aerospace engineering, and to work at Boeing or NASA as an engineer. She would love to build spacecraft and airplanes. She says that if she works at NASA, she will send someone to Mars! However, she does not desire to travel to space herself, only to build the spacecraft that would send someone there.
Layla looks forward to her future and wants to continue to be a service worker as she matures in her studies and in life. Layla Love is a name to watch out for. We will see her do many great things in her lifetime!
