Student Commencement Speaker Spotlight: Jaida Gouldbourne

April 23, 2026 - Emily Jodway Patyna

Jaida Gouldbourne manifested this moment. 

She saw herself standing behind a podium inside the Breslin Center in her cap and gown, addressing her fellow College of Social Science graduates as student commencement speaker. She spoke it into existence during a conversation with a coworker last fall, and made it a reality. 

“I still haven’t really fully processed it,” she said. “It’s an overwhelming amount of emotions. I was just looking at my speech and thinking to myself, ‘You really are doing this. It’s not just a dream.’”

Gouldbourne has endeavored to make a name for herself at Michigan State from the minute she stepped onto campus in the fall of 2022. She knew that in order to stand out amongst a sea of thousands of undergrads, she would need to trust in herself and step out of her comfort zone.

“During my four years here, there were plenty of moments of doubt and uncertainty … I had to have a strong sense of purpose in order to know that not only was I creating opportunities for myself, I was also representing something that was bigger than me,” she said. 

The theme of Gouldbourne’s commencement speech is ‘Rising with Purpose: Turning Challenge into Calling. Over the last four years, she has done just that. Gouldbourne is a published co-author in the Journal of Data and Slavery Preservation, a first-place honoree for her research at the 2024 Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF), and a 2024 winner of the prestigious Henderson Award for the Study of Slavery. She will graduate with a degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Peace and Justice Studies, with a goal of one day attending law school and working in the public legal sector. 

Gouldbourne’s journey hasn’t been easy. She experienced tragedy early with the passing of her mother, and was raised by her grandmother from the age of seven. The memory of her mother has guided Gouldbourne and motivated her to aim high. “I try to honor her legacy and the impact she has had on my life and journey every day,” she said. 

Choosing to attend Michigan State was a no-brainer for Gouldborne; originally from Detroit, she was drawn to the Green & White from a young age. As a first-generation college student, she knew the road wouldn’t be easy, but she was determined to succeed from the start. She knows she’s not alone in many of her feelings and experiences as an undergrad, and wants that shared message of camaraderie to shine through in her speech at Commencement. 

“My speech isn’t just about me,” she explained. “I want to highlight the impact that I’ve made here, but also to speak for my fellow peers and everything they’ve accomplished, because I know I’m not the only one who has made an impact and reached milestones here.”

Gouldbourne was also drawn to the field of Criminal Justice early on. She fondly remembers coming home from elementary school and hearing, ‘Bad boys, bad boys…’ as her mother and grandmother sat on the couch watching Cops each afternoon. She is also driven by a deep passion for helping others; as a Black woman, she is especially committed to fighting for the rights of minoritized communities. 

“Whether it’s the investigatory process, or fighting for the rights of not only the African American community, but everybody … I’ve always been passionate about justice and equity and understanding the different systems that impact people’s lives,” she explained.

Gouldbourne’s extracurricular opportunities through the College of Social Science, as well as its supportive faculty and advisors, serve as the foundation of some of her most memorable moments at Michigan State. In particular, she emphasizes the impact that the Social Science Scholars Program has had on her experience. 

“When [Scholars Program Director] John Waller first emailed me the Scholars application my freshman year, I never imagined the magnitude of the impact that program would have on me,” she said. “If it weren’t for the Scholars Program, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Gouldbourne also first connected with history professor Walter Hawthorne through Dr. Waller, and learned about the enslaved.org project, a comprehensive database that offers digital access to information about the lives of enslaved and freed individuals of African descent. She applied to assist in this research with Hawthorne and was accepted. From there, Gouldbourne eagerly dove into her projects. She was inspired by her own family lineage tracing back to Jamaica to focus on the slave trade and routes through the Carribbean, specifically examining the records of the enslaved population at the Amity Hall plantation in Jamaica. 

“Our research got approved, and we ended up contacting the New York Public Library, who had archived original documents that hadn’t been seen in over 200 years,” Gouldbourne said. The digital transcription process, Gouldbourne says, didn’t take long: “When you have such a love and passion for something, you’re eager to accomplish it.”

Gouldbourne will look back fondly on her time at Michigan State, from studying abroad in England to presenting at UURAF and being a member of Tower Guard. In her speech, she will sympathize with her fellow graduates about late night study sessions, early morning classes, and moments of stress- but she will also remind them that they’ve made it to the finish line, and their hard work does not go unnoticed.

Speaking at commencement will be the  “cherry on top” and one of the biggest highlights of Gouldbourne’s time at Michigan State. “I came here with a purpose and did what needed to be done. I came in with the mindset of, ‘I want to make a change. I want to put my stamp on MSU,’” she said.

To students both still in the process of earning their degrees or just beginning their college search, Gouldbourne’s advice is to keep the faith, persevere, and above all, resist the urge to procrastinate. She also emphasizes the ways in which MSU is not only a university, but a community and a family as well. 

“I want people to know that the hard times don’t last,” she said. There are so many opportunities here on campus to develop yourself, to grow yourself, to make a name for yourself, and you won’t be doing it alone. You’re going to have people there to walk with you. When you invest in MSU, it invests back in you. Michigan State met me where I was and transformed me into who I am today.”