Living BU’s Values: Jessica Lee on Service, Inclusion, and Healthcare Access
Jessica Lee (CGS’24, Pardee BA’26) is one of the featured voices in Boston University’s Living Our Values video series, which highlights how members of the BU community bring the University’s core values to life through their everyday work.
Since the launch of the Living Our Values initiative in 2024 by President Gilliam, these values (integrity, inclusion, community, collaboration, excellence, learning, service, and global) have been identified as the cornerstones of not only BU’s history, but it’s future. On bringing these values to life, the President said “Shared values bind us as a community. They create the conditions for civil discourse and help to ensure that every person can belong. Our values encourage us to do better and be better. Now, we must challenge ourselves to live our values.”
Inspired by her family’s experiences navigating language and cultural barriers in healthcare, Lee has focused her academic and research efforts on improving access for patients with limited English proficiency. Through her work in graphic medicine with the College of General Studies’ Center for Interdisciplinary Teaching & Learning, she has developed visual tools that simplify medical communication, partnering with Boston Medical Center to turn research into real-world impact.
A major in Asian Studies with minors in Biology and Interdisciplinary Studies, Lee is on the pre‑medical track and was recently named the recipient of the prestigious Harold C. Case Scholarship for the 2025–2026 academic year, one of the highest undergraduate honors at Boston University. In addition to her research, she contributes to BU’s sense of community as a peer mentor, supporting first‑year and international students as they find connection and belonging on campus. Since 2020, Lee has also served as an enlisted service member, with aspirations to become an Air Force physician.
By translating these values into action through research, service, and mentorship, Lee exemplifies how BU students are shaping a more inclusive, compassionate, and impactful future both on campus and beyond.
The full Living Our Values video series can be watched here.