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For Victoria Gichohi, MPH ’18, earning her degree at Charles R. Drew University was more than an academic milestone—it was a turning point that shaped her mission to drive change in underserved communities.

After completing her undergraduate studies in sociology at UC San Diego, Gichohi chose CDU’s Master of Public Health program to be closer to home and to gain the tools to address health disparities in places like Compton, Watts, and Willowbrook.

“CDU gave me the knowledge—and the community—I needed to grow as both a public health professional and a leader,” she said.

During her time at CDU, Gichohi earned the COSH Scholarship and graduated with the Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Award. She worked in the College of Medicine’s Graduate Medical Education Department, contributing to key projects like residency program development and accreditation efforts, and was an active member of the GIS Club.

Today, she is the co-founder of Black Girls Leadership Academy (BGLA), a national nonprofit that provides mentorship, leadership training, and culturally affirming programming to Black girls and young women ages 11–24. Since its launch, BGLA has reached participants in 32 states and across five time zones.

“We launched BGLA to make sure Black girls are not left behind,” she said. “They deserve access to mentorship, wellness resources, and the opportunity to lead.”

In addition to her nonprofit work, Gichohi recently became a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated through the Lambda Pi Zeta Chapter, serving the Carson, Compton, and South Bay communities.

Looking ahead, she hopes to open a community clinic or NGO that addresses not only health care access, but also connects individuals to housing, employment, and other essential services.

“There’s always more work to do in public health,” she said. “But there is always room for improvement by eliminating health disparities and improving the conditions of the impoverished in the United States.”