It’s freshman year at Quincy High School for Joyce Lukelo, and her “fomo” has set in. All of her friends play soccer, so she’s giving the sport a try with no experience. After a seemingly never-ending figure eight cardio circuit, Lukelo’s coach called out to the team.
“Does anyone want to step up and try out for goalie?” her coach said.
Without a second thought, Lukelo stepped up. The protector of the net, a resilient leader on and off the field and the point of origin for all communication. Whether it is on the soccer field or a Student Government Association meeting, Lukelo is a driven, brave and personable asset to Suffolk University’s Executive Board as the 2026-27 Secretary.
Lukelo is a freshman law major at Suffolk from Quincy, Massachusetts. Growing up, Lukelo was a shy, reserved child. That is, until she found the arts.
“I used to be such a shy kid, but once I found music and theater, I realized that I liked to speak in front of an audience,” said Lukelo. “I like having something to say and being able to share a message and a story with people.”
Lukelo is passionate about law, with aspirations of being an attorney after her time at Suffolk. But aside from academics, Lukelo is inspired and fulfilled by the arts, something she finds to be an important and integral part of Suffolk’s culture.
“I am a law major, but what really fills my soul is theater. I love that quote from ‘Dead Poets Society’ that goes, ‘medicine, law, business, engineering, these are all noble pursuits, and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for,’” said Lukelo.
Throughout high school, Lukelo was in countless theater productions. From “Aladdin Jr” and “The Lion King Jr,” to “The Tempest” and “Little Shop of Horrors,” Lukelo harbors a profoundly deep passion for music, acting and storytelling. Like many younger sisters, she got her start in theater from watching her sister get into it and loving it.
As a younger sister, Lukelo relates heavily to Ramona from the movie “Ramona and Beezus.” A creative, eccentric and adventurous younger sister with an intrinsic desire for justice and giving everyone a voice of their own. In her journey to becoming an attorney, she has found that her experiences as a kid have inspired her to become a beacon of connection and representation for others.
“It stems back to me being so shy as a kid,” said Lukelo. “I never wanted to speak up for myself, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that I like to be that spokesperson and speak out for other people. I think that’s what drew me into the legal field. I’m really interested in family, criminal and immigration law. I feel like those are the avenues of law where you need someone to be that advocate for the smaller person, and I used to be that smaller person.”
Lukelo was drawn to Suffolk by her hometown friend, Francisca Baduya, a current sophomore at Suffolk University. When she toured Suffolk the summer before officially committing, her tour guide, senior Jaythan Otero, said something that stuck with her and made her realize she was making the right decision by choosing Suffolk.
“My friend and I were talking on the tour and she said, ‘I want something that has the same vibe as Suffolk,’ and then Jaythan replied, ‘If you want something with the same vibe as Suffolk, then Suffolk is the choice.’ That was the moment it clicked for me,” said Lukelo.
Lukelo has spent years of her life in secretarial roles throughout high school, from interning at a law firm to being the secretary of her high school for four years and the theater secretary for two years. She feels well-equipped and organized to take on her role of Suffolk University Secretary.
“I really like being organized,” said Lukelo. “I have a very detailed Google calendar, and I like to have an itinerary. In high school, I started interning at a law firm and I would do a lot of secretarial work, whether it was planning meetings for attorneys, getting their paperwork and files set up — so a lot of my life has been building up to this role.”
Whether she is on a soccer field, a stage or behind a podium, Lukelo appreciates the people-side of law and politics. Lukelo empathizes that a collegiate executive board and student government association can be initially daunting and intimidating, but it is her mission to create an open, receptive space for students to get involved in the democracy of their school.
“I want to be that initial point that pulls people in and welcomes them so they don’t feel intimidated because student government can be very intimidating. I want to be that person that makes people feel like, ‘wait, I have a friend here,’ and someone who wants people for themselves and not for organization numbers,” said Lukelo.
Lukelo is not just a secretary. She is a soccer-lover, theater nerd, sister, friend and inspiring young voice in the realm of law. Inspired and driven by the connection of people and arts, Lukelo is a strong, committed elected figure and aims to fulfill her role as secretary with organization, consistent understanding and profound empathy.
