Commencement speaker reflects on mentorship and making a difference
MSU alumna Meredith Herman returns after rapid success in pathology
Less than a decade ago, Meredith Herman sat in the Breslin Center in her Spartan green cap and gown. Her stomach fluttered, a mixture of excitement and nerves.
Commencement felt like an ending in some ways for the Michigan State University alumna. She’d spent four years poring over lab specimens in the Biomedical and Laboratory Diagnostics, or BLD, program. Four years of studying late into the night for exams. Four years of meaningful conversations with mentors, of moments when information suddenly clicked and made sense.
This week, Herman will return to the College of Natural Science’s ceremony, but this time, she’ll be behind the podium. The 2017 graduate, who is this year’s commencement speaker, knows now that graduation is only the beginning of a new journey.
“I felt a sense of possibility, but I also had a lot of questions about whether I was truly ready,” Herman said. “Looking back, that combination of confidence and uncertainty was exactly what I needed.”
Herman was surprised when she was invited to speak at commencement — after all, it wasn’t so long ago that she was in the graduates’ shoes. But already, she’s proven herself as a powerhouse in pathology.
After receiving her BLD degree, Herman went on to earn a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from MSU in 2023. She matched in the highly competitive Anatomic and Clinical Pathology residency at Michigan Medicine. Just two years later, she was named the 2025 College of American Pathologists Resident of the Year, and she was also featured on “The Pathologist Power List” as a “Rising Star.” This spring, she received the College of Natural Science’s Recent Alumni Award.
It’s an impressive list of accolades, but Herman shares the credit with the MSU community. As a student, her path was shaped by mentors like J.K. Billman, who helped her see pathology as the perfect intersection of biology, problem-solving and teaching.
“To be recognized so early in my career is both humbling and affirming,” she said. “It reminds me that the path I’ve chosen, and the values I try to lead with, matter. More than anything, it reflects the importance of mentorship, scholarship and opportunities I had at MSU, which continue to shape how I approach my work today.”
Even as a busy pathology resident, Herman makes time to give back. Just as Billman mentored her, she sends encouraging messages, offers guidance and simply lets students know they’re seen and appreciated.
She also isn’t waiting to make a difference financially. Herman remembers how scholarships paved the way for the future she has today. Now, she’s co-established two endowed scholarships, the Herman-Billman Scholarship for BLD students and another for the Spartan Marching Band. She doesn’t want financial barriers to stand in the way of students receiving an education.
Her work extends far beyond the microscope. Through her creative venture, White Coat Artistry, Herman uses medical illustration to translate complex microscopic findings into accessible visual stories. Meanwhile, her digital presence on platforms like TikTok and her leadership with MatchToPath.com have brought pathology into the public eye, helping students navigate the residency match while humanizing a field rarely seen by patients.
As Herman shares her hard-won wisdom with the college’s 2026 graduates, she hopes they walk away understanding the power of the MSU community.
“They didn’t get here alone, and they don’t have to navigate what comes next alone either,” Herman said. “That sense of connection and shared purpose is something they carry with them wherever they go.”
“If there’s one thing I want them to remember, it’s this,” she added. “They have the ability to be catalysts. They have the ability to create change, to open doors for others and to build something meaningful, even when the path isn’t clear.”
- Categories: