A Roby Grad’s Journey into Global Healthcare and Unspoken Grace
Between clinical rotations at hospitals in Ferrera and Bologna, Texas Tech nursing student Payton Dickson took in the culture, cuisine, and rhythm of Italian life.
Pictured Above: Wearing white coats and wide smiles, Texas Tech nursing students stand outside a hospital in Italy, where they observed clinical care as part of a two-week study abroad experience. Pictured left to right: Kennedi Reed, Kyler Reed, Payton Dickson, Eliesabeth Smith, Hannah Tucker, Raven Borrowed, and Liana Mendoza.
Photo to the Left: Gliding beneath the aged brick and laundry lines of Venice, a gondolier navigates a canal—a timeless scene from one of Payton Dickson’s most cherished stops.
Pictured Above: “On my days off, I explored,” said Payton Dickson. Rome was one of several Italian cities she visited during her two-week study abroad experience through Texas Tech.
Visitors gather around the iconic Trevi Fountain in Rome, one of the many cultural landmarks Payton Dickson experienced during her free time while studying abroad in Italy.
Love locks hang on a railing overlooking a narrow canal in Bologna, Italy. The tradition is one of many glimpses into local life that nursing student Payton Dickson captured while abroad.
When Payton Dickson first saw Texas Tech’s nursing study abroad program in an email from her school, it wasn't just a cool trip that got her attention, it offered a chance to experience healthcare beyond anything she’d known.
Dickson, a 2021 Roby CISD graduate, quickly realized this trip offered something special. “I’ve always wanted to travel to Italy,” she said. “This seemed like a unique chance …
