Laila Leigh’s Streamer University journey started on cardboard in a pink room in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. From a young age, her family has taught her to speak things into existence: grades, internship opportunities and now the chance to build her brand as a social media influencer.
“[Laila’s father] believes in speaking things into existence. I believe in writing it down and making it plain. Laila’s been around all these concepts,” said Mai Leigh, Laila’s mother. “She has books about manifestation.”
Laila Leigh, who goes by “LailaSimoneTV” on Twitch, hopes that Streamer University is just one step in a path that leads to a career as an entertainment correspondent. She has memories of watching “Good Morning America” and “106 and Park,” respectively. The show’s hosts, Robin Roberts and Rocsi Diaz, were her role models. Watching them helped Leigh realize she wanted a life in front of the camera.
“Robin Roberts introduced a professional side and being a student of the game and real journalism,” said Leigh, a 2026 Clark Atlanta University (CAU) graduate.
Shifting her goals
Initially, Leigh thought she wanted to be a newscaster, like Roberts. As she got older, she watched YouTubers like Queen Naija and Jordyn Lucas. She also went to events like the Black Sports Business Symposium. She learned how to network, but she also realized that she would rather interview celebrities instead of learning about male athletes.
“I want to do something more fun…let me see what entertainment is like,” she said.
From that day, she never looked back.
She started interviewing celebrities like Luhh Dyl, India Love and Latto. She also began posting videos of herself talking about celebrities. Her Instagram video covering celebrity couple Megan Thee Stallion and Klay Thompson’s split has more than 170,000 views.
A relationship made through time
Mai Leigh and her daughter have built a special relationship. One that has roots in respect.
“I think I was meant to be her mom. We have a relationship that’s really unique. I respect Laila,” said Mai Leigh.
When the duo traveled to Atlanta to film Laila’s Streamer University application, Mai didn’t know much about streaming. She questioned how people even got picked to attend Streamer University. She watched DDG’s content to learn how he became rich from streaming.
“If kids are retiring their parents through streaming… go for it,” Laila remembers her mother telling her.
Finding her way
For Leigh, “find a way or make one” is more than a motto. It’s a way of life. At CAU, she founded started “Meet a Panther,” a platform designed to highlight students from the school’s community. She also interned with the school’s social media. She was also the Vice President of The Culture Collective. The organization refers to itself as a creative outlet that connects brands and students through culture.
She also interned as a podcast editor at TMZ, participated in the 2025 CNN Academy and worked as a BET Next Gen Ambassador at this year’s BET awards. These programs taught her how to prepare for big moments, how to communicate with others and how to make a way past obstacles.
“Everything she’s talked about, she’s gotten done,” said Kaden Lymon, a 2026 CAU graduate who worked with Leigh at The Culture Collective (TCC).
The duo have been friends since 2022, their freshman year of college. Across the last four years, Lymon has seen Leigh’s positive attitude, curiosity and persistence take shape.
“That’s really my dawg,” said Lymon, a smile forming on his face. “It’s really been a joy to watch her grow.”
Her mother, Mai, believes that her daughter can achieve anything she wants because of her curiosity.
“The curiosity that children have, the wonder, it’s beautiful. If you allow them to explore they can become whatever they want,” said Mai Leigh, Laila’s mother.
Professional practice
Lymon, who filmed Leigh’s application to Streamer University, also touts the professionalism that Leigh has shown throughout their time working together. One month before filming the video, Leigh reached out to Lymon for help. She already had a plan, even flying back to Atlanta with her mother from Maryland to make sure her vision came to life.
Lymon and his creative team met with Leigh to work on details. The script was finalized. Choreography and props were discussed. When filming started, though, not everything went to plan.
Instead of giving up, the duo made the necessary adjustments. Just like Lymon, she wanted the video to be perfect. The final sentence of the video, “what we doing, Kai?” took 22 takes to perfect. The video was complete before Kai Cenat announced that Streamer University would be accepting applications.
This type of discipline is not only reserved for her application, which was one out of more than a million. When Laila was in sixth grade, her parents challenged her: stay on her school’s honor roll for the whole school year, and they would reward her with a puppy. Laila took on the challenge. The puppy turned out to be a shih tzu named Cody, who is now 12 years old.
According to Lymon, the two would call weekly and talk about how to make TCC and “Meet a Panther” content better.
“I’m around a lot of people that do big things… It feels good knowing that I was able to help her get to [Streamer University],” said Lymon.
What’s next?
Streamer University is only one part of Laila Leigh’s plan. On her vision board, Leigh lives her dream life. Working at Complex. Interviewing celebrities. Maybe even a life as a TV host like her role model, Rocsi Diaz.
Laila Leigh lays her future in front of her. She prints out her goals, dreams and aspirations, pastes them onto a piece of cardboard and posts the vision board on a pink wall in her family’s house. Then, she turns the vision into a reality.
