Tatum Raymond Committed to Making the Most of Her College Experience; The Results (and Raymond) Rock

This story is one in a collection of profiles celebrating the growth and character of Chico State’s 2025 Lieutenant Robert Merton Rawlins Merit Award recipients. The award—one of the largest and most prestigious at Chico State—celebrates exceptional students who exemplify admirable traits inside and outside of the classroom.

There’s a fun surprise sprinkled into almost every sentence Tatum Raymond speaks. For instance, she doesn’t drink coffee because when she needs a pick-me-up, a little heavy metal blasting through the speakers of her RAV4 does the trick. An animal science major minoring in chemistry, she carries a water bottle covered in skulls and wears a smile on her face. Raymond arrived at Chico State committed to making the most of her time here after transferring from Lassen Community College in her hometown of Susanville, and has succeeded fantastically in this endeavor. Now in her senior year, she has mastered the art of trying anything and following her instincts—a formula that continues to lead her to creative challenges.  

Raymond penned an impressive and unnerving 60-page “short” horror story for her general education honors capstone project last spring. In the Artist’s Statement, she noted that “humans crave… the testing of our own limits.” She would know. Raymond is a 4.0 student, has worked in the organic dairy unit of the University Farm operating the milking parlor and feeding and doctoring calves and cows, and is a member and leader in five student clubs and programs: Educational Opportunity Program, Chico STEM Connections Collaborative (best known as CSC²), Pre-Veterinary Club, Young Cattlemen’s Association, and Meat Science Club.  

“I think it’s great to have opportunities to get more depth out of the college experience beyond just purely getting an education, and it’s super fun,” said Raymond. “I’ve met some of my greatest friends through clubs.” 

A constant self-starter, Raymond spent the past several summers working as a veterinary assistant for Doctor Kasey Christenson back home in Lassen County, getting hands-on experience with dogs, cats, cattle, and the occasional water buffalo. She plans to pursue a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and a graduate degree in veterinary pathology after graduating in May.   

Raymond’s latest endeavor is in Professor Logan Smith’s soils lab where she’s measuring soil microbes from sites throughout California to test the impacts conventional and regenerative agricultural practices have on soil health.  

“We play in the dirt,” she said. “I just get to be a big nerd in the lab. It’s super fun.” 

Raymond also likes to hike. Her favorite trek is with her dad along the Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail near Susanville. She might also be found at the library, where she’s a regular. And at night, she’s often inspired to draw or paint and enjoys working with charcoal.  

Raymond says she enjoys everything she’s doing and rarely lacks enthusiasm. But in those rare moments when she needs a little push, she just pushes play on a Slipknot record. 

“The passion I have for what I’m doing keeps me going. I’ll go to my classes and do my homework and late at night I’ll be inspired to draw. It’s just a matter of doing what I love to do right now. My confidence increased when I came to Chico State. I used to be super shy, but when I got here, I realized this was an opportunity to involve myself in things and do things I might never have the chance to do again. I told myself: coming here, I’m going to try everything that I can, just to get the biggest experience out of it that I can, because that’s the point, right?  

Then I walked onto campus and Dr. Logan Smith is one of the first people I met, standing there with his bowtie, immediately warm and welcoming. He’s been my biggest encouragement, reminding me that I am capable and in charge of my future and inspiring me to try everything to figure out what it’s going to be. And it turned out that everyone was so welcoming, especially everyone in the College of Ag. It felt like an instant family. Everyone is so down to earth and I’ve made friends everywhere I’ve gone. It’s been a safe place for me to try new things, meet new people, and see what fits.“

-Tatum Raymond