As a junior at Franklin & Marshall College, a single class changed the direction of Oluwafunmilayo (Funmi) Oguns’ life. The neuroscience major and philosophy minor took the course Health, Healthcare and Justice, which focused on inequities in the healthcare system. Having spent a portion of her childhood in Nigeria, Funmi once viewed the U.S. healthcare as almost “magical.” However, the course demystified that impression and introduced her to the structural complexities underlying access to care. What began as academic curiosity quickly became a sense of purpose, one that redirected her path toward law and public health.

Before applying to law school, Funmi returned home to New York City, where she simultaneously studied for the LSAT and earned her Master of Public Health in Global Health at Icahn School of Medicine. While there, Funmi attended an information session that Vanderbilt Law School held in Manhattan. Dean Chris Guthrie spoke, and Funmi was drawn to what she heard. “I went to a pretty small undergrad where I knew most of my professors well,” she explained, “and I wanted to replicate that same kind of connection in law school.”

Funmi arrived on campus early for a pre-orientation bootcamp with ONEelevate, a highly selective leadership training program. She was paired with two mentors, one student and one attorney, both of whom made her entry to law school smoother. Once classes began, Funmi found that the tight-knit, collegial atmosphere Dean Guthrie had described was real. “I think everyone is kind of running their own race,” she said, “so it doesn’t feel like your classmates are your competition.” She became involved in the Black Law Students Association and the Health Law Society and took full advantage of every healthcare-related offering Vanderbilt offered. The knowledge she gained at Icahn, combined with those specialty classes at Vanderbilt, prepared her well for her stint as a summer associate in Dallas at Foley & Lardner LLP after her 2L year.

Working closely with the firm’s healthcare practice group, Funmi was able to engage substantively with complex legal and regulatory issues from the outset. “I knew some of the legal terminology,” she said, “and by the end of the summer I deepened my familiarity.” Funmi credits Rachel Kohler, a fellow Frankin & Marshall alum who works in Career Services at Vanderbilt Law, with facilitating the connection with Foley & Lardner. Rachel was aware of her healthcare background and was able to think of her when she came across a healthcare specific opportunity. She secured an interview and later accepted the firm’s offer to return after graduation.

As that day nears, Funmi thought back on her most formative experiences during law school. The month she spent in Italy taking classes on international and humanitarian law through Vanderbilt in Venice was a highlight, as was her pro bono work back in Nashville. Through Professor Lauren Sudeall’s course Access to Justice, Funmi co-authored a collaborative research paper on criminal responsibility and felony murder with incarcerated women at the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center. The course explored the role of lived experience in shaping legal narratives and will be published in the Vanderbilt Social Justice Reporter, where Funmi serves as Executive Journal Development Editor. She also participated in the law school’s Youth Opportunity Clinic, assisting juveniles with expungements, including the resolution of court debt and school related records under the supervision of Professor Cara Suvall.  The experience provided an opportunity to work directly with impacted youth while navigating legal processes that significantly influence their ability to move forward.

Funmi is extremely grateful for her time at Vanderbilt, which offered a pace that allowed for reflection amid the intensity of law school. “There is no rushing,” she said. “It’s just so still, and you can pause and reflect and take things in.” Funmi believes the key to succeeding in law school is “keeping in mind your ‘why,’ because it’s so easy to get disgruntled, disappointed, and tired,” she said. “Remembering my ‘why’ and all the things that led me to this path have kept me going.”

For Funmi, that purpose remains clear. Her “why” is grounded in addressing race-based inequities in the healthcare and in examining the root of medical mistrust in Black communities. She is committed to advancing equity within the healthcare system and to using the law as a tool for meaningful change. As the oldest of five daughters, she is equally motivated by the example she hopes to set. “I want to show my sisters what is possible through discipline, purpose, and persistence,” she said. “The possibilities are limitless.”