Leilani Fu’Qua, ’23

Leilani Fu’Qua is a third-year Public Affairs and English double major from Ontario, CA. Before UCLA, Leilani was involved in competitive cheerleading, broadcast journalism, and held leadership positions in her high school’s Black Student Union and National Honor Society. Her passion for public service and advocacy for marginalized communities translates to her life at UCLA. On campus, Leilani is the Editor-in-Chief of Nommo Newsmagazine, the Afrikan People’s Magazine at UCLA, where she centers her work on balancing the inaccuracies and insensitivities that are present in media. She also holds positions in the Black Pre-Law Association as Outreach Director and is the Co-Director of BlaQue, an organization that provides a safe space for Black queer students. She hopes her involvements on campus can help to educate others about Black student retention and inspire Black students to invest in their education.

After graduation, Leilani plans to enroll in a dual degree program to receive her J.D. and Masters in Urban Planning. Leilani’s goal is to ensure that marginalized groups have secure and safe housing, which is just one step closer to her ultimate hope that the quality of marginalized people’s lives is improved with the eradication of poverty and housing insecurity. She believes housing is a human right and is honored to advocate for her community as a Norma J. Ehrlich Alumni scholar.