Natalie Rawlings and her new wellness initiative on campus

Junior Honors student Natalie Rawlings, a Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology major, is bringing a fresh approach to wellness on campus through her innovative project, the Recharge Room. Located in the Medical Student Lounge in the Health Sciences Library, the Recharge Room offers a thoughtfully designed space where students can decompress, relax, and take intentional time to recharge. It's a space created for students, by a student. 
 
Natalie’s inspiration for the project originated from her work at Campus Health and CAPS as both a Lead WellCat and Peer Counselor. Through these roles, she noticed a recurring theme: many students were overwhelmed by loneliness, stress, and burnout, yet lacked a comfortable, welcoming place to pause and reset. Recognizing this gap, and feeling it firsthand as a student herself, Natalie began imagining what it would look like to intentionally design such a space. 
 
What began as an idea has evolved into a collaborative, cross-campus initiative. The project is fundamentally trans-disciplinary, from brainstorming wellness features with mentors at CAPS, to planning design elements alongside faculty at the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture (CAPLA), to working with Facilities Management on material approvals, and coordinating logistics with Student Affairs at the College of Medicine. 
 
With support from a $5,000 Exploratory Mini Grant through the Honors College, funding from the College of Medicine, and Student Milestone Funding from Startup Wildcats, Natalie has been able to move this vision toward reality. In April, she pitched her project at Startup Night, winning Fan Favorite for the night and securing an additional $2,950 in funding. She also recently presented the Recharge Room at the W.A. Franke Honors Pinnacle Event, using the opportunity to showcase her work and connect with future collaborators. In recognition of her partnership with CAPLA on the project’s design elements, she was also awarded the Drachman Student Outreach Award.  
 
The Recharge Room is currently in progress, with full completion expected by Fall 2025. The space features a massage chair, fresh paint, acoustic wood paneling, VR Technology, new furniture, and calming decorative elements that incorporate biophilic design, all carefully selected to most effectively foster rest and recharge for students. Natalie plans to evaluate the room’s impact by collecting data on student usage and outcomes, with the hope that this first installation will serve as a pilot model for expanding wellness-focused spaces across campus.