While working on her degree in nursing, South Carolina Honors College student Natalie Trimble also served in various capacities in Student Government and worked in the larger Columbia community to improve the lives of students and residents.
Trimble, of Aberdeen, Maryland, is the recipient of the 2023 Steven N. Swanger Leadership Award for her contributions to the University of South Carolina that span various organizations and roles. The award is presented to a senior who has demonstrated major achievement in the categories of service, leadership, academics and research.
“My experiences at USC developed me into a servant leader, which I utilized to give back to the community,” she says.
Trimble served on the Carolina Judicial Council, which hears and decides cases involving potential violations of the Student Code of Conduct and the Honor Code and determines appropriate sanctions for those found responsible. The organization also promotes the Carolinian Creed of aspirational values in the campus community.
“Throughout my time in Student Government, I took advantage of my various roles to mentor members to be able to make change within their community.”
She served in Student Government as deputy election commissioner and held several roles in Student Senate, including speaker and chairwoman of the health and safety committee.
“Throughout my time in Student Government, I took advantage of my various roles to mentor members to be able to make change within their community,” Trimble says.
She also helped lead several initiatives on campus including the campus safety walk and flu shot drives.
Trimble volunteered with the Free Medical Clinic, working with uninsured patients and helping perform simple lab tests, and volunteered with Cocky's Canine PAALS, helping to train service dogs.
She earned university grants for her research, including projects studying the relationship between stress and chronic conditions in college students, and the effects of continuity of care for people with diabetes. She presented research findings at Harvard University, Discover USC and the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science.
“Through my research I improved the lives of undergraduates at USC by researching their stress levels and implementing stress reduction strategies,” Trimble says. “I also widened my research scope to enhance the lives of military children.”