Jaleesa Vinson (later Jaleesa Vinson-Taylor) was a main character on A Different World; she appeared in a total of 109 episodes of the series from Seasons 1 throught 5. The part of Jaleesa was played on the series by Dawnn Lewis.
About Jaleesa
A native of Camden, New Jersey, Jaleesa enrolled at Hillman College at the age of 25 as a business management major.
She was a roommate of Denise Huxtable & Maggie Lauten (with whom she went to Greece with during the summer of 1988) during her sophomore year. During her junior and senior years, she became roommates with Freddie Brooks.
Jaleesa worked part-time at the Hillman library and was the assistant dorm director of Gilbert Hall. She also spent a summer working as a cable television installer.
She was in a serious relationship with coach Walter Oakes and later became engaged, but they halted their wedding at the altar & ended their relationship.
Jaleesa graduated from Hillman in 1990 and accepted an entry-level corporate position. She also became Whitley Gilbert's off-campus roommate.
She later marries Colonel Bradford Taylor (in a surprise elopement), becoming the stepmother of Bradford's children, Suzanne & Terrance. She also starts a temporary employment agency.
Towards the end of the fifth season, Jaleesa gives birth to a daughter named Imani. She was last seen seen in the fifth season finale.