JD Vance wife, Usha Vance, is making history as the first Indian American and first Hindu Second Lady of the United States. Born on January 6, 1986, in San Diego County, California, she is also the youngest Second Lady since the Truman administration at just 39 years old.
Notably, Usha Vance’s impressive academic credentials include a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University, an MPhil in early modern history as a Gates Scholar at Cambridge University, and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School. Her legal career is equally distinguished, having served as a law clerk for several senior federal judges, including Chief Justice John Roberts and Judge Brett Kavanaugh. The couple met while studying at Yale Law School in 2010 and married in 2014. Together, they have built a family with three children: sons Ewan and Vivek, and daughter Mirabel. For many, Usha Vance represents the embodiment of the American Dream, particularly as she steps into her historic role in the White House.
Early life and academic journey
Born on January 6, 1986, in San Diego County, California, Usha Bala Chilukuri grew up in a family deeply rooted in academic excellence. Her story begins with her parents, Lakshmi and Radhakrishna “Krish” Chilukuri, both Telugu Indian immigrants who moved to the United States in the 1980s from Andhra Pradesh, India.
Family background and upbringing in San Diego
The Chilukuri family settled in the upper-middle-class Rancho Peñasquitos neighborhood of San Diego. Both parents established distinguished academic careers—her father is a mechanical engineer from IIT Madras who works as a lecturer at San Diego State University, and her mother serves as a molecular biologist and provost at the University of California, San Diego.
Academic achievement runs deep in the Chilukuri family. Interestingly, Usha has a 96-year-old great-aunt in southern India celebrated as the country’s oldest active professor. Shanthamma Chilukuri still travels 60 kilometers most weekdays to teach physics. Furthermore, her paternal grandfather, Ramasastry Chilukuri, taught physics at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, which now runs a student award in his memory.
Throughout her childhood, Usha attended Mt. Carmel High School, graduating in 2003. During her school years, she played flute in the marching band and participated in the school’s Jeopardy-style Academic League. At just 17, she demonstrated her competitive nature, telling the Union-Tribune, “It’s not enough to know the answers, you have to do it fast”. Childhood friends described her as a “bookworm” and a “leader”.
Education at Yale and Cambridge
After high school, Usha attended Yale University, where she graduated summa cum laude in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in history and membership in Phi Beta Kappa. During her undergraduate years, she volunteered in local elementary schools, served as a Girl Scouts troop leader, and became editor-in-chief of an education policy publication called “Our Education”.
Following graduation, she taught English and American history as a Yale-China Teaching Fellow at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China. Subsequently, she was awarded the prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship to attend Clare College at the University of Cambridge, where she earned a Master of Philosophy in early modern history in 2010, focusing on the book trade and development of copyright.
In 2013, Usha completed her Juris Doctor at Yale Law School. Her law school accomplishments were impressive—she served as executive development editor of the Yale Law Journal, managing editor of the Yale Journal of Law & Technology, and an editor of the Yale Law & Policy Review. Beyond her editorial roles, she participated in several impactful programs:
- Supreme Court Advocacy Clinic
- Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic
- Iraqi Refugee Assistance Project
- Pro Bono Network
Usha Vance age and early achievements
At 38 years old, Usha Vance has accumulated remarkable achievements that impressed even her husband. JD Vance has referred to his wife as “brilliant” and “way more accomplished than I am”. In fact, according to classmates at Yale Law School, she stood out not only for her academic excellence but for her willingness to help others succeed—she would share her meticulously organized, color-coded notes and advise fellow students on applying for coveted judicial clerkships.
Her upbringing in a middle-class community with “two loving parents, both immigrants from India, and a wonderful sister” laid the foundation for her future success. Despite her extraordinary accomplishments, those who knew her describe a person without “sharp elbows,” someone who excelled without feeling the need to maintain an edge over other students.
Legal career and professional milestones
Following her graduation from Yale Law School in 2013, Usha Chilukuri Vance embarked on a prestigious legal career marked by coveted clerkships and high-profile litigation work.
Clerkships with top federal judges
Usha Vance’s post-law school journey began with a series of distinguished judicial clerkships. Initially, she served as a law clerk for Judge Amul Thapar of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky from 2013 to 2014. Thereafter, she clerked for then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh on the influential U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 2014 to 2015.
Her most prestigious clerkship came when she worked for Chief Justice John Roberts at the U.S. Supreme Court during the 2017-2018 term. This period coincided with several significant Supreme Court decisions, including a 5-4 ruling upholding President Trump’s travel ban targeting several Muslim-majority countries. Throughout this term, she was specifically assigned to work on Azar v. Garza, a case regarding an undocumented immigrant minor in ICE custody seeking an abortion.
Work at Munger, Tolles & Olson
After completing her clerkships, Usha joined Munger, Tolles & Olson, a prestigious law firm often described as “radically progressive”. As an associate at the 200-lawyer firm, she worked between their San Francisco and Washington D.C. offices for almost six years. Her practice primarily focused on complex civil litigation and appeals across various sectors, including higher education, local government, entertainment, and technology.
Notable cases and clients
Throughout her tenure at Munger, Tolles & Olson, Usha represented several high-profile clients. Court records show she worked with a division of The Walt Disney Company and the Regents of the University of California. Additionally, her client list included Paramount Pictures and Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). Her practice extended to cases involving the semiconductor industry.
Resignation after VP nomination
Upon her husband’s selection as Donald Trump’s running mate in July 2024, Usha made the decision to leave her position at Munger, Tolles & Olson. In a statement regarding her departure, she explained, “I have resigned from my position at Munger, Tolles & Olson to focus on caring for our family”.
The law firm acknowledged her contributions in their own statement: “Usha has been an excellent lawyer and colleague, and we thank her for her years of work and wish her the best in her future career”. Shortly after her resignation, her biography was removed from the firm’s website, signaling the beginning of her transition to a new chapter as potential Second Lady of the United States.
Meeting JD Vance and building a life together
The paths of two remarkable Yale Law School students converged in 2010, setting in motion a love story that would eventually make headlines across America.
How Usha Chilukuri met JD Vance at Yale
Their initial encounter occurred when they were assigned as partners for their first major writing assignment at Yale Law School. Moreover, they both joined a discussion group focused on “social decline in white America,” a topic that would eventually form the theoretical foundation for JD’s bestselling memoir “Hillbilly Elegy”.
In his memoir, JD describes being immediately smitten with Usha, calling her “some sort of genetic anomaly, a combination of every positive quality a human being should have: bright, hardworking, tall, and beautiful”. His attraction was so immediate that he “violated every rule of modern dating” by professing his love after just one date.
For her part, Usha saw something special in JD as well. She later described him as a “working-class guy who had overcome childhood traumas” that she could “barely fathom”. Their professor Amy Chua described their relationship as “extremely unlikely, almost opposites of personality”, with JD being more outgoing and Usha more studious and bookish.
Their interfaith marriage and shared values
On June 14, 2014, one year after graduating from Yale Law School, the couple wed in Kentucky. Their ceremony beautifully reflected their diverse backgrounds—JD’s friend read from the Bible, and a Hindu pandit blessed the couple. In fact, Usha confirmed they had both “an Indian and an American wedding”.
Together, they’ve built a family with three children: Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel. Usha revealed that one of their children has an Indian name, connecting the family to her cultural heritage.
JD Vance Wife, Usha Vance, religion, and cultural identity
Usha remains a practicing Hindu while supporting her husband, who converted to Catholicism in 2019. As explained by Suhag Shukla of the Hindu American Foundation, the fact that Usha inspired her husband on his religious journey is “as Hindu as it gets”.
Their home life blends both worlds—although JD is a self-described “meat and potatoes kind of guy,” he adapted to Usha’s vegetarian diet and learned to cook Indian food from her mother. In keeping with her heritage, Usha is raising her children with access to Hindu traditions through books, cultural experiences, and family visits.
As Usha said, “Hindu Americans assimilate, but also hold on to what inspired them from their tradition and culture”—a philosophy that perfectly captures how she has built her life alongside JD Vance.
Role as Second Lady of the United States
Upon becoming Second Lady in January 2025, Usha Vance stepped into a historic role with both ceremonial responsibilities and opportunities for impact.
Public appearances and speeches
Presently, Usha Vance focuses on promoting literacy through her Second Lady’s Summer Reading Challenge. In August 2025, she hosted an event at NASA’s Johnson Space Center alongside astronaut Suni Williams, reading space-themed books to children in grades K-8. The initiative encourages youth to “seek adventure, imagination, and discovery between the pages of a book” with participants required to read 12 books by September 5.
Beforehand, she appeared at the Ohio State Fair with Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine for a fireside chat and children’s book reading. Beyond educational initiatives, she serves as a trustee of both the Washington National Opera and the Kennedy Center.
Advising JD Vance during the campaign
Throughout the 2024 campaign, Usha maintained a behind-the-scenes role rather than a public-facing presence. After introducing her husband at the Republican National Convention, she primarily supported him by providing perspective “as his wife and his best friend”.
Her influence on JD Vance remains significant—she helped prepare him for his vice-presidential debate and serves as his “truth-teller”. As JD Vance explained, her best political advice was straightforward: “Don’t let them filter you… Just be yourself. Be authentic”.
Historic firsts: Indian American and Hindu Second Lady
As the daughter of Telugu immigrants from India, Usha made history as the first Indian-American and Hindu Second Lady when her husband was sworn in as Vice President. At 39, she is the youngest Second Lady since the Truman administration.
At the inauguration ceremony, she stood holding the Bible in one hand and their daughter Mirabel Rose in the other as Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh administered the oath to her husband. Interestingly, President Trump later remarked that Usha is “smarter than her husband” and might have picked her as Vice President instead.
Controversial Greenland visit and diplomatic impact
Nevertheless, controversy emerged with a planned visit to Greenland in March 2025. Originally announced as a trip to attend the Avannaata Qimussersu dogsled race, the visit faced immediate backlash from Greenlandic officials who stated they “had not extended any invitations”.
Consequently, the itinerary was changed to include only a visit to Pituffik Space Base. JD Vance subsequently announced he would join his wife on the revised trip, prompting Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen to describe the change as a “de-escalation”.
Public image, values, and family life
Behind the scenes of public appearances, Usha Vance maintains a family life centered on normalcy and tradition.
Parenting style and raising three children
For Ewan (8), Vivek (5), and Mirabel (3), the Vances prioritize normalcy above all else. “Almost every decision is directed at making it as much like what it would have been like if they had been growing up in Cincinnati as we planned,” Usha explained. Indeed, she insists her children handle everyday chores—putting away laundry and cleaning up spills—even with staff nearby. JD admits their parenting styles differ, noting Usha’s exceptional patience while he takes a more direct approach.
Vegetarian lifestyle and cultural traditions
As a vegetarian Hindu married to a Catholic, Usha has created a culturally rich household. Though JD was once “a meat and potatoes kind of guy,” he learned to cook Indian vegetarian dishes from her mother-in-law. Simultaneously, they’ve integrated both religious traditions—sending their children to Catholic school while providing access to Hindu traditions through books, family visits, and cultural experiences. Recently, she expressed hope to host a Holi celebration.
Media portrayal and fashion recognition
Usha approaches public scrutiny pragmatically, saying, “I try to do that every day, just have a normal life that is in public and ignore that people are watching it”. Her fashion choices have garnered attention, with appearances in Oscar de la Renta and Badgley Mischka gowns, though she describes her previous style as simply “an outdoorsy working mom”.
Facing racism and public scrutiny
Unfortunately, the family has encountered racist backlash. After JD’s nomination, far-right figures attacked Usha’s Indian heritage online. According to Stop AAPI Hate, such incidents reinforce “heightened levels of fear and anxiety Asian Americans and immigrants are currently experiencing”. Regardless, she maintains her dignity, once responding to criticism by saying, “I think it’s terrible” when addressing posts about “normalizing Indian hate”.
Final Thoughts
For many admirers, Usha Vance represents a living embodiment of the American Dream. Her journey from a San Diego suburb to Second Lady stands as a remarkable testament to possibility in American life.
Even her husband appears overawed by her accomplishments, admitting her elite credentials leave him feeling “humbled”. In an interview with Fox News, she explained that the “stability and sort of calm” she provides in their family life stems from the support she received growing up.
Across the ocean in India, her success has sparked immense pride, especially among her relatives. Her great-grand-aunt in Andhra Pradesh noted Usha comes from a distinguished lineage of Hindu scholars, yet as physics professor Chilukuri Santhamma observed, Usha’s achievement represents something truly exceptional—”one in a millionth”.
As such, Usha Vance remains in the early stages of defining her role as Second Lady. She candidly admitted before the election, “I have not given a ton of thought to my own roles and responsibilities”. In essence, she joins a line of Second Ladies who approached the position differently—from Jill Biden maintaining her teaching career to Karen Pence focusing on art therapy.
Given these points, she must correspondingly navigate the complex dynamic with First Lady Melania Trump—what Kate Bennett describes as an “unnatural, natural relationship”.
Read more about influential politicians of the present era, their policies, and the debates they spark.
FAQs
Who is Usha Vance?
Usha Vance (née Chilukuri) is the wife of Vice President JD Vance and currently serves as the Second Lady of the United States. She is the first Indian American and the first Hindu to hold this role.
When and where was Usha Vance born?
She was born on January 6, 1986, in San Diego County, California.
How old is Usha Vance?
As of 2025, Usha Vance is 39 years old, making her the youngest Second Lady since the Truman administration.
What is Usha Vance’s family background?
She was raised in Rancho Peñasquitos, San Diego, by Telugu Indian immigrant parents. Her father, Radhakrishna “Krish” Chilukuri, is a mechanical engineer and lecturer, while her mother, Lakshmi Chilukuri, is a molecular biologist and provost at UC San Diego.
What is Usha Vance’s educational background?
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Yale University – B.A. in History, summa cum laude (2007)
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University of Cambridge – MPhil in Early Modern History as a Gates Scholar (2010)
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Yale Law School – Juris Doctor (2013)
What notable positions has she held in her legal career?
She clerked for Judge Amul Thapar, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, and Chief Justice John Roberts. Later, she worked at the prestigious law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson, representing high-profile clients such as Disney, Paramount Pictures, and the University of California.
Why did Usha Vance resign from her law firm?
She resigned from Munger, Tolles & Olson in 2024 after JD Vance was nominated as Donald Trump’s running mate, choosing to focus on her family.
How did Usha and JD Vance meet?
The couple met in 2010 at Yale Law School when they were assigned as writing partners. They married in 2014.
Do Usha and JD Vance have children?
Yes, they have three children: Ewan, Vivek, and Mirabel.
What is Usha Vance’s religion?
She is a practicing Hindu. JD Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019, and together they blend both traditions in their household.
What initiatives has Usha Vance started as Second Lady?
She launched the Second Lady’s Summer Reading Challenge to promote literacy among children and has also taken part in cultural and educational events nationwide.
What controversies has she faced?
In 2025, controversy arose over a planned visit to Greenland, which had not officially invited her. The itinerary was later changed to focus on Pituffik Space Base.
Has Usha Vance faced racism?
Yes, she has been subjected to racist backlash following JD Vance’s nomination. Despite this, she has responded with dignity, highlighting the challenges Asian Americans and immigrants face.
Why is Usha Vance considered historic?
She is the first Indian American and the first Hindu Second Lady of the United States, marking a milestone for representation in American politics.
What does Usha Vance represent to the public?
For many, Usha Vance embodies the American Dream, blending immigrant heritage, academic brilliance, professional achievement, and cultural pride while serving as a role model for future generations.