Swanger Award winner serves fellow students, community in variety of roles
Posted on: April 21, 2022; Updated on: April 21, 2022
By Communications and Marketing
Laura-Louise Rice works in ways large and small to help her fellow Gamecocks find a home at the University of South Carolina.
“Having an array of touchpoints on campus has exposed me to different perspectives that have informed my greater view of the university,” the Lexington, South Carolina, native says.
For her efforts over four years at the University of South Carolina, Rice received the 2022 Steven N. Swanger Award, the university’s second-highest undergraduate honor. The award is named for a former president of Omicron Delta Kappa, which sponsors the university’s Awards Day. It is given to a graduating senior for exemplary leadership and for making significant contributions to the Carolina community.
An Honors College student, Rice is earning her Bachelor of Arts and Science (BARSC) in medical humanities and public policy. Her thesis explores how a health justice organization could improve the gaps in health care received by residents of South Carolina.
During her four years at South Carolina, she has served in many capacities in Student Government from Freshman Council to chief of staff to the student body treasurer. She has served as an orientation leader for both the Honors College and the university and has been a University 101 Peer Leader and a Student Success Center Academic Engagement Peer Leader.
Whether through individual interactions and support of my orientation small groups and my U101 students or through broader impact in organizations like Student Government, I believe I was able to reach my goal of being a beacon of light and uplifting those who have come after me.
Laura-Louise Rice
“Much of my involvement at the university over the past four years has centered on supporting incoming generations of Gamecocks to feel seen during their time as a student,” Rice says. “I sought a community where I would be empowered, but I could also empower those around me.”
She has served as parliamentarian and chapter president of the Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity, as well as filling several leadership roles in her sorority Delta Sigma Theta.
In the larger Columbia community, Rice volunteered with the Carolina Survivor Clinic, which provides health care and other services to refugees living in the Midlands of South Carolina, and she was a leader for The Big Event, which coordinates an annual day of service for UofSC students in Columbia.
“Whether through individual interactions and support of my orientation small groups and my U101 students or through broader impact in organizations like Student Government, I believe I was able to reach my goal of being a beacon of light and uplifting those who have come after me.”
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