Meet Naiya Dalce

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Naiya Dalce. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Naiya, so happy you were able to devote some time to sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our community. So, we’ve always admired how you have seemingly never let nay-sayers or haters keep you down. Can you talk to us about how to persist despite the negative energy that so often is thrown at folks trying to do something special with their lives?

As a young girl, I’ve always been strong-minded, and confident, so I was always used to the typical comments. I’ve been told that I was cocky, or stuck-up, but honestly, I was just being myself. Growing up with a single mother, I was always taught to keep my head held high, and to not care about what others thought about me. No matter what you do, there will always be people who talk negatively about you, so why not do what makes you happy? I will never change who I am or dim my light to make others feel comfortable. Yes, I have a strong personality, but I never make people feel inferior. Some people are intimidated by my confidence, and how I carry myself, but it doesn’t affect me. God has always created my steps, so I cannot stop and think about what haters might say about me. I’m entering into my last year of law school, and the goal is to be an amazing sports attorney, so I’m preparing myself now for the criticism that will come with the career. I just remind myself that if people are doubting me, or speaking negatively about me, that means they’re noticing me! I have to keep going because time waits for no one. Just remember that the negative comments have nothing to do with you, but everything to do with how the haters feel about their selves.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Currently, I am a law student at North Carolina Central University School of Law, and I graduate in 2025. My ultimate goal is to work in Sports, whether it’s working for an organization or working with individual athletes. I love intellectual property, so I’d love to assist with Trademark and Copyright needs. Being an attorney also involves advocacy, and I love mentoring other young women. Eventually, I want to create a mentorship program for young women, because I want to make sure that women continue to shine their light. My law school journey wasn’t easy, but I am the woman I am today because of that journey.

For Undergrad, I went to Marymount University and graduated with a degree in English. I always knew that I wanted to go to law school, but I didn’t know where to start. As a result of my low LSAT scores, I had to take two years off after I graduated. During my time off, I taught high school English, and I was a literacy coach for elementary students. At the time, I was so upset that I couldn’t go to law school straight from undergrad, but honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way! North Carolina Central University emailed me in 2022 and stated that I had to enroll in a performance-based admission program to have a chance at being admitted. Finally, I was able to prove to myself, and others, that I deserved to be in law school! My first year of law school was hard, but I made it through. When I finished my first year, I received an internship opportunity for the summer. Unfortunately, I had a boss who made inappropriate comments and belittled me, and my internship was cut short due to him physically assaulting me.

I used the rage I felt to remind myself that I was going to finish law school to become the attorney that the world needs. During my second year, I began to attend networking events, get involved with school events, and make connections within the sports world. Due to my hard work, I received an amazing summer internship opportunity for 2024. I was determined to become a woman in sports, so I began contacting almost every NBA and NFL team attorney. Networking paid off because I was selected to participate in the NFL HBCU Seed-Kit Experienceship. I was able to work with 7 other students on a project that was presented in front of the NFL executives, and our team won 2nd place!

I am now entering into my last year of law school, and I always think about how far I have come. I absolutely love law school! All of my experiences molded the person that I am today. My journey is too amazing not to share, so I have started creating content. I want other young ladies, and law students to know that if I can do it, so can they. I hope to use my platform to motivate other students to continue to pursue their dreams. There will be people who try to stop you from moving forward, and one can get imposter syndrome. Well, I’m here to tell you that anything is possible.

Instagram: thenaiyanoelle
Tiktok: naiyanoelle

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Honestly, I think being headstrong is one of my favorite qualities about myself. Growing up, I never took no for an answer, and that quality has carried me through life. Yes, headstrong means stubborn and willful, but that can be a good thing! I wasn’t going to let my hardships stop me from getting what I wanted. Being headstrong allowed me to ignore the negativity from others, push through my negative experiences, and allowed me to stay on the right path.

A skill that I have is the ability to network and work the room! I love talking and getting to know other people. Honestly, life is all about connections. I learned that connections were important, especially in the sports industry, and just the law field in general. I can be honest and say that I’m not a 4.0 student, but my ability to speak to everyone has allowed me to be put in the same rooms as the 4.0 students. My goal is to actually form relationships with people because I want to share my love and passion with everyone. I will always have an outgoing personality, and it has benefit me so much.

The last quality that I love the most about myself is how sensitive I am. I think that being sensitive allows me to have empathy and sympathy for others. Due to me being sensitive, I’m always quick to defend someone, and it has been that way since I was a child. My being sensitive has allowed me to form connections and allow others to trust me. Trust is very important, whether I’m dealing with friends or future clients!

The advice that I have to give is, to never take no for an answer. If the answer is no, ask someone else, or find a loophole. There will be a lot of “no’s” before you receive a “yes”. Do NOT stop until you achieve your goal. I also want to tell people that it’s okay to be in tune with your feelings. It’s okay to cry, it’s okay to be angry.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Honestly, there are so many people in the sports & entertainment industry I’d love to work with! I want to meet everyone! I’d love to just sit down with Taylor Rooks one day. She is a gorgeous, black, woman in sports, and she’s one of my favorite journalists. Even though I’m going to be a lawyer, I would love to work with anyone who has a hand in the sports industry today. Especially since I’m getting into content, I’d want to speak with influential women to learn more about their journey. It’s important for women to see other women achieving their goals!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: thenaiyanoelle
• Linkedin: Naiya Dalce
• Other: Tiktok: naiyanoelle