Today we’d like to introduce you to Makayla Leilua.
Hi Makayla, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Makayla Leilua, and I grew up in Rowland Heights, CA for the majority of my life. I was raised by my mother, Stefanie Leilua, who was born in Manila, Philippines, and raised in the San Fernando Valley, and my father, Kelemete Leilua, who was born and raised in the South Bay, as well as Lake LA area. I am the oldest of nine children with four being my full siblings, three being my step-siblings, and one being a half-brother. Currently, I am an intern at Late Night with Seth Meyers in New York City, where I am also a senior at New York University Tisch School of the Arts.
I stand where I am today because of the immense amount of love and support I have received from my family. They are quite literally my rock.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t believe it’s been a smooth road in any sense. I am extremely grateful for the work that my parents have put in and the opportunities that I have been granted, however, there were definitely struggles along the way. For starters, I didn’t even know if I’d be able to attend NYU, due to my family’s financial situation. Then I was able to and moved across the country to a city where I knew nobody and was surrounded by unfamiliar faces. Personally, my time in college has been a season of growth with challenges along the way that I did not ask for but helped me become the woman I am today.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
At NYU Tisch School of the Arts, I specialize in comedy writing and producing. Currently, I am the Executive Producer of an NYU Advanced Television Production pilot entitled, ‘Acting Human.’ ‘Acting Human’ follows Noel, a newly-out trans guy, as he enters his sophomore year of high school. Over the summer, I produced an independent short entitled, “Undercover Lesbian Club,” based in a Catholic high school where an underground club is brought to light. Apart from producing, I am prone to writing half-hour sitcoms and sketches that tend to focus on politics, social awareness, etc.
While at NYU, I have tended to lean more towards classes of Social and Cultural Analysis. I am extremely passionate about bringing awareness to topics that are prevalent to world issues, however, I especially enjoy doing so through comedy writing. Some inspirations for me are “A Closer Look” on ‘Late Night with Seth Meyers’ and ‘The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.’ The approaches of each series make social conversations slightly more comforting to members of various backgrounds, which I aspire to do.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc.?
Some of my favorite books include, ‘Normal People’ by Sally Rooney and ‘My Body’ by Emily Ratajkowski. My all-time favorite has to be ‘The Joy Luck Club’ by Amy Tan and I am currently reading ‘Daisy Jones and The Six.’ I am a sucker for Tik Tok and love to watch cooking, comedy, and get-ready with me videos. Each break, it seems like I have more time to discover organizational apps to help plan out my days. Over the summer, Notion helped me do my best in life!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: makaylafaiith
Image Credits
Grant Juggert
Louisa McGrath
Olive Ryan
Makayla Leilua
