We know that our diversity is our strength. A vital component of that diversity comes from our immigrant community. In an effort to acknowledge and celebrate the immigrant experience, we’ve created this article series called “An Immigrant Story.” 

Michelle Garde '94 was named Head of Value Analytics at Yuvo Health, the first venture-backed, health care-tech startup dedicated to community health. “I started my life in Grenada and immigrated to this country when I was 10 years old. It was a big adjustment for me,” says Garde, a first-generation college student who earned her B.S. at John Jay in legal studies and an M.P.A. at New York University. She originally wanted to work in the legal field, and switched gears to pursue a career in public health. “I transitioned to health care because I saw a need in underserved communities to which I knew I could add value. It’s exciting to be at Yuvo because it’s a company devoted to helping people through community health centers,” says Garde. “The founding team is fully BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) and the founder himself was a community health center patient as a child.”

Coming to the United States
As a young child, Garde was raised by her grandparents and a large community of extended family. “It was a small island, but there were always a lot of positive influences in my life,” she recalls. “When I came to this country, it was just my immediate family living in the Ditmas Park area of Brooklyn. Everything was different, from the mannerisms to the accents. It was a huge adjustment coming from a Caribbean culture.” Growing up, Garde envisioned becoming a legal defender and set her sights on John Jay. “The College had a wonderful reputation for legal studies and was in a great location,” says Garde. “For me, the first in my immediate family to go to college, you couldn’t get better than that.”

Being at John Jay
One of the first things that Garde noticed when she walked on campus was the large Caribbean population. “It meant something to me to be around folks who ate the same food, laughed at similar stories, and danced to the same music. I took great comfort in those familiar cultural references. I could be my authentic self around my group of Caribbean friends at John Jay,” she says. On campus, Garde’s network of Caribbean peers often engaged in detailed discussions about political, social, educational, and economic situations in the U.S. and their respective Caribbean islands. “Those debates framed how we related to one another and helped us piece together our own narratives as Caribbean immigrants. These are conversations and stories that still influence me today.”

Transitioning to Public Health
After graduating from John Jay, Garde worked as a paralegal and later transitioned to health finance, inspired by conversations with her John Jay friends. They often talked about inequities in health care and she was still passionate about issues that underserved communities faced. “So, I decided to get my M.P.A. in public administration and health finance,” she says.

After earning her master’s degree, Garde secured jobs at community centers, database organizations, and well-known health care industry companies. “At each job, I learned more about the factors that affect a person’s access to care. I began analyzing and curating data that could influence decisions about health care availability and opportunities,” says Garde, who worked at companies such as EmblemHealth, Affinity Health Plan, and Visiting Nurse Service of New York. “Over time, I started thinking of myself as a storyteller. I was taking data and mapping out what the story could look like if we changed certain variables or started different initiatives for the betterment of a community.”

Finding the Perfect Position
Garde was thrilled to join Yuvo Health. “I couldn’t dream of a better position. I’m using all of my past experiences and helping people who look like me get the health care they need,” she says. In her new role, Garde delves into different data points—like how many times people see a primary care physician—and illustrates community concerns to an array of stakeholders involved with community health centers. By creating a data-rich narrative, her team suggests robust solutions—like extending evening hours or developing an urgent care cooperative—that could improve the lives of people in underserved communities. 

Offering Sage Advice
Thinking back to her younger self at John Jay—and considering current students with similar locked-in career plans—Garde has this advice: “Be open to what comes to you. When you think of your ‘basket’ of experiences, look at all the items. If you’re too focused on one ‘item’ or plan for your future, you could miss something that you really love.”