Trisha Nichols is as humble as they come - the daughter of an NICU nurse, she understands the value of hard work, dedication and the importance of prayer. Trisha has experienced more miracles than she can possibly recount, and lives life with the belief that "God has big plans for me."

Trisha was awarded the Ruth A. Davis Women's Scholarship given to sophomore, junior, or senior women demonstrating outstanding academic performance. "I was thrilled and honored to be a recipient of such a gift, which truly did help motivate me further in my studies, not to mention lighten my financial burden," she explains. She believes that receiving the scholarship helped her work harder to maintain the high standards to which PUC holds her accountable.

An international communications major, Trisha has spent the last five months living and studying in Argentina to fulfill the major's requirement of studying abroad. "Hard as it is to be away from my friends, family and American lifestyle," she says, "the time here has changed me for the better and also the humility I've attained seeing how different the world lives outside U.S. borders."

However, she has nothing but high praise for the communications department here at PUC and is eager to return to it. "The professors are well-educated, caring and are always willing to go over and beyond to assist you in succeeding," she praises. Trisha plans to return to PUC in the fall and complete her degree in international communication and Spanish, simultaneously fulfilling her requirements for the Loma Linda University accelerated BSN program. The program takes two years to finish, after which she plans to work in the Loma Linda University Medical Center as a nurse alongside her mother. Her dream is to eventually become a CRNA (nurse anesthetist) or a Physician's Assistant.

When choosing a college, she could not decide between La Sierra University and PUC. "In the end," she states, "it was the great reviews from former and current students about the academic programs and professors who actually noticed if you missed class and helped you do well in their course." She visited the school and knew that she had made the right decision: "Once I visited the campus and got a little taste of real student life, I fell in love with the place, and the rest is history," she says.

Trisha loves curling up with a good Christian fiction novel, and enjoys spending time with her two younger brothers and the family puppy. She likes taking part in various outdoor activities, like jogging, hiking, swimming, tennis, and volleyball.