By Anthony Howard
Transfer student London Devaul graduated from Jackson State University with a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration on Friday, Dec. 8. JSU is where she found her voice and purpose.
“In the vibrant tapestry of Jackson State, I found not just an education but a community that shaped me,” she stated.
A native of Houston, Devaul started her academic journey as a pre-nursing student at the University of Texas at Arlington. She recalled feeling intimidated walking into an anatomy and physiology class with nearly 200 students.
“I felt like I was just a number, but at Jackson State, I was in smaller class settings,” said Devaul, president of the Health Care Administrators Association at JSU. “I was able to have a relationship with the teachers and deans in the College of Health Sciences.”
With a change in her learning environment, Devaul quickly and significantly improved her academic performance.
“I felt like I had something to prove,” said Devaul. “Coming from UTA, where I struggled academically, to coming here and having a 3.952 GPA, it was night and day.”
Devaul said one thing she appreciated most about JSU was the honor convocations. She said it was motivating to be celebrated by the university.
“When I came to Jackson State, the environment made me feel like I am smart and could make good grades,” said Devaul.
Influenced by her family, Devaul transferred to JSU in the Fall of 2021, continuing her family’s legacy of JSU graduates that began with her great-grandmother.
“My grandmother went to Jackson State, and my parents met at Jackson State,” Devaul shared.
She praised JSU’s intimate and supportive learning environment for enhancing her college experience. She also credits her time at Jackson State for increasing her confidence in her academic abilities.
A member of Delta Sigma Theta Inc., Devaul quickly became active on campus after transferring. She worked as a transfer student ambassador to help other transfer students have a transition as seamless as hers.
“I wanted to tell them how important it was to come to Jackson State. A lot of us came because of the low out-of-state fees,” Devaul said.
She will soon move to Foster City, California, after accepting a full-time job offer from Gilead Sciences as a public affairs associate. She landed an internship with the biopharmaceutical company during its HBCU Homecoming Tour at JSU.
“Jackson State changed my life for the better and has given me the stepping stones to have this opportunity, and I do not think I would have gotten it if it was not for Jackson State,” Devaul said.
