Actor, producer, director, and three-time Tony Award winner Alyah Chanelle Scott has already accomplished so much at a young age. The 26-year-old Houston native is best known for her role as the student-athlete Whitney Chase in the HBO Max series The Sex Lives of College Girls, but she is also the executive producer of her own production company, Ruyonlands Productions. On June 22, she was the keynote speaker at the 10th annual Her Conference in New York City, where she spoke to an audience of college students about her rise to fame, dealing with imposter syndrome, and her strong connections with her castmates on SLOCG.
During her keynote, Scott shared numerous insights about her journey, touching on the highs and lows that she has experienced so far. At times, the conversations got very deep, but there were also many moments of levity, like during the Q&A segment, when an audience member asked Scott about her favorite childhood TV show and how it influenced her identity. The show she mentioned was a beloved classic that many grew up watching, and honestly, I want to start watching it all over again.
“True Jackson, VP,” Scott said in response to the question. “I wanted to be her.”
Scott also added some context to her answer, which was probably super relatable for many in the audience. “I was a very sheltered kid,” she said. “My parents were very religious, and I was not allowed to watch anything besides Disney and Nickelodeon.”
A Nickelodeon show, True Jackson, VP ran for three seasons, from 2008 to 2011, spanning 56 episodes. It was the show that caused many Gen Zers to first fall in love with actor and entrepreneur Keke Palmer. True Jackson, VP was the only Nick show at the time with a Black female lead, which Scott mentioned was impactful to her: “The fun in seeing a young Black entrepreneur, comedian, executive on screen — I wanted to be as close to [True] as possible.
“Can you say “Black girl magic?” I don’t know about you, but I need an Alyah Chanelle Scott and Keke Palmer collab as soon as possible. (Maybe even that rumored True Jackson, VP reboot?)