Kanwulia Onianwa’s UCLA journey is in its final stitch.

Onianwa, a fourth-year sociology student and marketing director of FAST, said she has had her heart set on UCLA and fashion since middle school. Long before she arrived at the university, she said she was deep in research mode, determined to find a fashion community at a school without a dedicated major. That search led her to FAST, which she said she immediately knew she had to join. She added that once she understood the multitude of projects the club was working on, her interest prompted her to join. As a key player in the organization that once felt like a dream to her, Onianwa is building the very community that first drew her in – one that she said runs at “industry level” and gives students a space to create, collaborate and thrive.

“I found the closest thing to that kind of fashion major equivalent was FAST,” Onianwa said. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I have to be in this.’ I just saw all the cool things they did with the magazine and the runway and I was like, ‘No, this is my club, I need to immediately join.’”

Since she is majoring in sociology and minoring in digital humanities, Onianwa said her studies do not touch fashion, but joining FAST stepped in to fill that gap. She said her studies do not necessarily translate over to her creative ambitions at FAST. Instead, she said FAST has filled that gap and more. While she originally considered marketing a stable career entry point, she added that fashion has always been the ultimate goal. She said fashion is a harder industry to break into job-wise, but added that it has been an endgame goal of hers to do so. FAST gave her the creative outlet and industry-level experience her coursework could not and is now a cornerstone of her college life, Onianwa said.

She said she joined her sophomore year, just in time for the launch of the club’s brand-new styling committee. Styling was her passion, and during her first year in the club she said she helped style models for five editorial shoots and worked with photographers and production teams. But her ambitions did not stop there. Wanting to make an even greater impact, she said she pivoted to marketing director – combining her love for fashion with a sharp eye for branding. Since then, she has led a full rebrand, grown FAST’s Instagram following by over 200% and was the creative director for the Black History Month and Valentine’s Day campaigns, she added.

“We just started growing like crazy,” Onianwa said. “It’s been something so special to me, and that’s why it truly has changed the trajectory of my UCLA life, but also my life, because then I realized that marketing is actually something I want to pursue too and something I’m good at. And FAST helped me see that and helped me build my marketing portfolio.”

Ward Alyousef, a second-year psychology and public affairs student who works for Onianwa’s marketing committee as the Instagram lead at FAST, said Onianwa’s leadership style is deeply energizing and empowering. Despite having meetings at night when everyone is tired, Onianwa shows up with a positive and enthusiastic spirit, even when she has also had a long day, Alyousef said. Whether it’s leading brainstorms, hyping up personal projects or coordinating FAST’s trendy edits and fashion campaigns, she said Onianwa’s interpersonal skills shine. She added that Onianwa’s approach blends creativity with care by uplifting every voice, inspiring her team and translating that spirit into a strong creative presence.

“The way I see her interact with people and the way I see her reaching out to every single member of a shoot really inspires me to do the same,” Alyousef said.

Best friend to Onianwa and UCLA alumnus Sarah Koussa said Onianwa leads FAST not just with strategy, but with style. She said Onianwa always arrives in standout outfits – a choice that feels infectious. The determination Onianwa has to dress up for meetings reminds people to stay excited about being in a fashion club, she said. Her presence encourages others to express themselves through clothes, Koussa added, even without a formal fashion major at UCLA. But it’s not just what she wears – it’s how she carries herself, Koussa said. With an unwavering smile and optimistic energy, Koussa added that Onianwa turns high-pressure moments into motivation, channeling that same spirit into her bold, joy-filled approach to marketing.

Onianwa said FAST has been behind her ever-changing journey at UCLA. She added that the club made clear for her new styles and diverse ways to use clothes. Known among her peers for her bold outfits and vibrant online presence, Onianwa said she hopes to become a fashion influencer and inspire others to dress unapologetically. FAST, she added, helped her see how clothes can tell a story – something that’s shaped her freelance creative direction projects outside of the club. She said the club also built her confidence in marketing – after years of content creation on her own, Onianwa said leading FAST’s social media showed her that her skills could lead to a career – they led to her first internship and now her post-grad job.

Onianwa said being a part of the club offered her many opportunities, including but not limited to walking a runway, which served as a beautiful experience for her. But even more than the big moments, she said she’ll miss the quiet ones – the looks exchanged after a shoot wraps, the feeling of finishing a project as a team, the joy of seeing FAST’s posts spread across campus.

“It’s just like I said – (joining FAST was) the best decision I made in my college career, and I’m just so grateful to say I got to spend three years doing what I love with people I love,” Onianwa said.