OCHUWA GARUBA

Ochuwa Garuba was born and raised in Metro Atlanta, where she first discovered her passion for community engagement and collective action. Ochuwa graduated from Vanderbilt University with degrees in Public Policy Studies and Law, History, and Society, along with minors in Medicine, Health, and Society and Data Science.

At Vanderbilt, Ochuwa leveraged her background in civic engagement as President of Vandy Votes to lead community-wide voter registration drives with local nonprofits, including The Equity Alliance, the League of Women Voters, the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, and Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors.

Prior to her role as the Metro Client Advocate, Ochuwa served as a Development Intern at the Tennessee Justice Center, where she recruited volunteer photographers and wrote stories for the 2024 Mothers and Caregivers of the Year Campaign. She also served as a Democracy Intern at the Brennan Center for Justice and a Data Fellow at Civic Tennessee.

As the Metro Client Advocate, Ochuwa is passionate about shifting community narratives and educating community members about their public benefits. In her role, she regularly conducts community outreach in Davidson County and works directly with clients to expand healthcare accessibility.

In the future, Ochuwa plans to become a civil rights attorney. She is excited to continue creating a more just and accessible future for all Tennesseans!​