Journey to Success

Nathalie Primbs ’25 made the long journey from Germany to Mount Mercy University to achieve her dreams of pursuing computer science. Making the decision to leave home was tough, but Nathalie quickly found her new home on the Hill.

Nathalie grew up in Germany attending summer camps offered by the software company her father works for. Nathalie knows the field may seem intimidating at first, but the support she received from her father helped shape her dream.

“The computer science program here impressed me. We have a new lab with 3D printers and robots. Not only that but the support from the professors is huge. They are so good about supporting their student's education and growth.”

Nathalie wanted to come to the United States to pursue computer science and her other dream of playing soccer. After meeting with the coach and other players she instantly felt a connection and knew that this was the right place for her to make her new home.

“I had to choose between several offers from different universities, and Mount Mercy gave me that feeling of being part of a family and made me really comfortable,” Nathalie shared.

Nathalie is very active in the Mustang community. She loves being the Cabinet Coordinator of Clubs for the Student Government Association (SGA), the JEDI Student Assistant, and a member of the International Club.

“My first semester I didn’t know about JEDI, and I’m not familiar with that in Germany. One of my teammates introduced it to me and I applied. I started taking on more and more responsibilities until one point they asked if I wanted to be the JEDI Student Assistant.”

As the JEDI Student Assistant, Nathalie helps with events including the Multicultural Fair and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Breakfast. Another part of her responsibilities includes representing JEDI in front of recruiters and transfer students. Nathalie also works on the JEDI Instagram page making videos about cultures and inclusivity around the world

“I’ve grown a lot since I began SGA and JEDI. It has made me feel more present among people and has helped me to be more tolerant and unbiased because everything is connected to their culture,” said Nathalie. “I want to encourage people to come here, especially international students, because we really are like a family.”

Nathalie’s roles have helped her develop her personal skills and have pushed her out of her comfort zone. When she first accepted her role, she was nervous about taking on the responsibilities, but her Mount Mercy support system guided her through it.

“Accepting my JEDI position, I thought, am I really ready for this? But everybody here is working to help you out and now getting out of my comfort zone, I see that it is not that big of a challenge, even when you make mistakes, you are still learning from it.”