Lyman Briggs College student Hannah Lalonde had only been on campus a few days when she was hit with the feeling of being “home” at MSU.
“When Holmes Hall hosted ‘open door night’ that first week, I met so many people who shared my unique interests. That was the night I met my Spartan family and knew Lyman Briggs College was my home,” she said.
First-year students in Lyman Briggs live in Holmes Hall. They take their core classes, build connections with faculty and meet with their advisors there, too. And throughout their entire undergraduate career, they are part of a close-knit academic and social community centered around deeply understanding science and its relationship with society.
Another thing that helped Hannah feel the support of her new community was receiving the Pamela Ann Merry Endowed Scholarship.
“Like many of my classmates, I am paying for college myself,” Hannah said. “I work not one, but two part-time jobs. I have been fortunate to receive a donor-funded scholarship…created in memory of a fellow Briggsie, Pamela Merry, which really furthered my connections to Briggs and reminded me that I am never alone on this journey.”
Lyman Briggs College gave me the support and foundation to be a woman in science. It exposed me to how science interacts with the rest of the world. I want to help others experience that support.