love & honor
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CONNECTIONS [DESPITE COVID] Nate Trawick ’20 inspires his student-athletes through Zoom BY J OS H C H AP I N ’ 02
This article is excerpted from Slant Talk, the new Miami University Alumni Association blog. To read other stories of success, resilience, and Love and Honor, go to MiamiAlumniBlog.com.
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miamian magazine
As shutdowns started because of the pandemic, Nate Trawick ’20 reached out to his high school student-athletes with weekly Zoom calls. Trawick’s concern for his students is no surprise to Othello Harris, an associate professor at Miami. When Harris talks about Trawick, he recalls a student who went from good to excellent. Certain students, Harris said, give a head nod or a facial expression during class. When he sees that visual cue, he knows he’s made his point. In Harris’ African Americans in Sports class, he could count on Trawick to give him that sign.
“He always came to class prepared to learn, knowing he was going to get something out of that class,” said the associate professor in sociology and gerontology. “That inspired me.” Trawick is still inspiring people. Now a physical education teacher at Vaile Elementary School in his hometown of Richmond, Ind., he is also an assistant coach to Richmond High School’s football, wrestling, and track and field teams. When the COVID-19 health crisis closed schools and put many states on lockdown, the former Miami University football student-athlete quickly moved to keep in touch with his student-athletes. What started as a regular Monday Zoom meeting
