Leylany Lara (She/Her)
Leylany is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley from East Los Angeles, pursuing a major in Political Economy with a minor in Public Policy. A recipient of the Fiat Lux Scholarship, she approaches her education with a deep commitment to community-driven leadership and public service. Her interests center on the role of law and public policy in shaping markets, enforcing civil rights, and advancing economic mobility.
Leylany is interested in learning how federal policymakers approach issues in education, housing, and economic mobility, and how the interaction of these areas – as well as her own community work – can inform more effective, equity-focused policy.
At Berkeley, Leylany is actively involved with the Public Service Center and serves as a research assistant in the Ethnic Studies Department, where she contributes to research on education policy affecting Black and Latino communities. She also works with Legal Aid at Work, helping low-income workers navigate their workplace rights and protections. In addition, Leylany serves as Chief Legal Officer of Youphoria, a student-led startup, where she engages with legal strategy, compliance, and organizational governance.
Drawing from her positionality and community-rooted experiences, Leylany aspires to pursue a career as a civil rights attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, where she hopes to champion community-centered advocacy, advance equitable policy change, and drive systemic impact through federal enforcement.
Major(s): Political Economy
Minor(s): Public Policy