Umiemah Farrukh’s upcoming graduation will fulfill a dream not only for her, but for her two siblings, who will graduate alongside her.

The Farrukh siblings – Umiemah, Qasim and Humzah – grew up in Vancouver, Canada. Their parents, who immigrated and are Pakistani American, inspired them to give back to their community and work hard for equal access to opportunities, said Qasim Farrukh, a fourth-year psychology student. These values, in addition to UCLA’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, drew the siblings to apply to UCLA, he added.

Before moving to Los Angeles, the three siblings found themselves enrolled in community college at the same time during the COVID-19 pandemic despite their varying ages. It was during this time that they ended up applying to UCLA, which had been their dream school, Qasim Farrukh said.

“When the pandemic hit, and we were in community college, our journeys kind of ended up aligning,” said Umiemah Farrukh, a fourth-year psychology student. “That’s been a great blessing for all of us.”

The Farrukh siblings opened their acceptance letters together with their parents, a moment which Qasim Farrukh said marked not only a celebration of their individual success, but a chance for the family members to pursue their dreams.

“Them reading it with us was an incredible joy,” Humzah Farrukh, a fourth-year sociology student, said. “It was our parents’ proudest moment, our proudest moment. I guess there’s not a lot of things that can match that.”

Throughout their academic journey, the Farrukh siblings found it comforting to be able to share the undergraduate experience together. They were able to lean on one another for support, such as reading each other’s personal statements or conducting mock interviews, Umiemah Farrukh said. She added that they have been close since childhood and throughout community college.

“I think we were able to create a collective identity,” Humzah Farrukh said. “It came to a fact that we have people recognizing us on campus everywhere because they just know that we’re a team.”

The siblings have also used their varied experiences at UCLA to work together on multiple projects.

Qasim and Umiemah Farrukh co-created the Psi Chi Research Committee, which provides undergraduate students independent research project opportunities and the ability to publish their findings, within the Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology at UCLA. They said they paired Umiemah Farrukh’s research experience in seven labs at UCLA with Qasim Farrukh’s experience establishing UCLA’s first overdose prevention task force at the USAC Office of the President. This experience allowed them to co-create the group and successfully oversee it together.

Together, the siblings also created the Farrukh Foundation, a nonprofit that encourages students to prioritize education by building schools around the world, Humzah Farrukh said. Being at UCLA has helped them propel their nonprofit through making connections with others who shared their mission, allowing them to further their goal of providing equal access to education, Humzah Farrukh said.

Humzah Farrukh said he was inspired to start a nonprofit organization to build schools for children while on a backpacking trip in Pakistan after seeing a young girl on the street asking for money. He said this encounter made him realize that everyone deserves a chance to have a good education, no matter where they are. He added that he previously created an advertising agency serving smaller businesses who could not afford traditional advertising methods, which later led him to look toward solving more global issues.

Umiemah Farrukh said conducting social, developmental and cognitive psychology research has shown her the impact that quality education has on the trajectory of a child’s life. This research has helped her to create the individualized curriculum and counseling resources offered at the Farrukh Foundation’s schools.

“I realized that sometimes it’s not about sending individuals money or just building schools or things like that, but it’s to create an opportunity for them to be successful, like we were able to do for each other,” Humzah Farrukh said.

As they reflected their upcoming graduation, each sibling expressed gratitude to be able to share this moment with one another.

“I believe we’ll be the first to hold bachelor’s degrees within our household, which is very exciting,” Qasim Farrukh said. “Never in a million years did I think that I would be here at UCLA, let alone graduating with my three siblings, so it still feels surreal.”

The Farrukh siblings also discussed their plans for pursuing higher education and working together on the Farrukh Foundation after graduation.

While the three siblings plan to go their separate ways to pursue graduate school, Umiemah Farrukh said their family’s legacy at UCLA will continue. Their youngest brother is an incoming transfer student in the UCLA class of 2025.

“I think going to school together has solidified the strength of our relationship,” she said. “We all went through a lot of things and were lucky enough to go through them together, so I think things like that bond you forever.”