MSU Integrative Studies celebrates 2025 outstanding senior Jessica Lemond

April 28, 2025 - Emily Jodway

The Center for Integrative Studies at Michigan State University is proud to announce that Jessica Lemond has been named the 2025 College of Social Science Outstanding Senior in Integrative Studies. Lemond is a Davisburg native and will graduate this May with her degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science and a minor in Law, Justice and Public Policy. 

Lemond was initially drawn to Interdisciplinary Studies because it allowed her to better curate her degree around the study of both individual and systemic social issues, along with other important research elements, like learning to work with individuals and navigating the systems she will one day be serving. She particularly enjoyed the research she was able to do as part of her capstone course and undergraduate dissertation, in which she examined how multiple factors unique to the experience of blind children attending schools for the blind compared to public schools, and how they may influence the future economic independence of these individuals.

“I owe my gratitude to a lot of people who helped me during my time at MSU, and I feel very lucky to have had people who cared about me when I was going through tough times,” said Lemond of her many support systems during her undergraduate journey. She credits Integrative Studies professor Dr. David Baylis, Tesia Freer and Kristin Cambell from the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities, her academic advisor Abby Johnson, and her friends and family for giving her guidance and empowering her to succeed. 

Lemond is looking forward to graduating after seven years of undergraduate study, a number she doesn’t shy away from. 

“I don’t think you should spend too much time judging yourself for not finishing everything up in four years, because the person I was three years ago is very different from who I am today, and I believe I will be taking a much more intentional next step than I would have if I graduated in 2021,” she said. “I feel better about my future plans, and I think I will be happier than if I’d made these decisions when I was younger.”

After graduation, Lemond would like to work as a vision rehab therapist, helping teach independent living skills to blind individuals. “This population is dear to my heart because I myself am blind, and I enjoy a high quality of life because of the independence I have.”

Her advice for first-year students is that everyone has to start somewhere in order for them to grow. “I’m glad that, today, I practice a better work-life balance, am more empathetic, and make more informed decisions,” she said.

Congratulations, Jessica!