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Two groups of UTampa students took advantage of faculty-led travel courses over the winter break, applying lessons and learning traditional healing practices in Peru’s mountain villages, and perusing businesses in Dubai. 

Nursing Students Head South

Robin White and Tressa Pedroff, both nursing faculty, led nine nursing students in a course that earns community health practicum hours while immersing students in Peru’s health care systems and cultural traditions. 

Over 10 days, students traveled through Lima, the Sacred Valley, the rural Andean community of Chuquibamba and Cusco.

In Lima, students observed pediatric, rehabilitation and specialty care at the Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación and the Instituto Nacional de Salud del Niño San Borja, both major public health institutions. The visits offered insight into how public and private systems operate in Peru and how providers deliver care with limited resources.

Students were exposed to traditional healing practices, such as using plants for pain relief, and learned how to transport or splint injured patients in rural communities. 

“I found it super interesting how just rope, sticks and fabric can be used when transporting or making a splint for someone when medical supplies are not available,” Kenneth Rutherford ’27, a nursing major, said.

From the capital, the group traveled to the Andes, exploring the Sacred Valley and one of the seven wonders of the world, Machu Picchu. A private guide taught the students about the history and mysteries of this unique Inca complex.

In the Sacred Valley, students worked with Sacred Valley Health, an organization dedicated to improving access to care in remote, indigenous communities. Students learned about grassroots health education, preventive care and the importance of empowering communities from within.

The most immersive portion of the trip took place in Chuquibamba, a rural Andean village more than 11,000 feet above sea level. There, students stayed in homestays, shared meals with local families and participated in daily village life.

“They treated us like family,” Pedroff said. “The homestay experience gave students a level of cultural understanding you simply can’t get from observation alone.”

Students participated in community education activities and learned how residents manage health challenges. They also explored traditional Peruvian healing practices, including herbal remedies grown and prepared within the community.

Sabrina Ottaviano ’27, a nursing major, said the experience profoundly shaped her perspective as a future nurse.

“I learned a lot from the community in Chuquibamba, and it made me more open-minded and aware of how different people approach health,” Ottaviano said.

In Chuquibamba, she assisted with a prenatal wellness check at a small, rural clinic.

“It was very different from anything we’re used to in the U.S.,” she said. “I didn’t even have a translator, but I relied on what I’ve learned in the nursing program. Finding the fetal heartbeat was nerve-wracking, but also really rewarding.”

The last stop of the trip was Cusco. Students visited the tourist market of San Pedro and the famous twelve-angled stone. While there, they toured a local clinic called Cima.

While Machu Picchu and Cusco stood out as cultural highlights, students emphasized that the relationships built — with each other and with local communities — were the most meaningful part of the journey.

Meanwhile, in the UAE ...

Also during winter break, more than two dozen Business 101 students traveled to Dubai to see how companies operate in other parts of the world and understand both the challenges and opportunities of living, working and doing business abroad. 

During the seven-day trip, students visited three companies: Dubai Islamic Bank; DP World, a global logistics company; and Yellow Door Energy, a solar developer. At each company, students heard from senior staff about what makes their company special. 

Antony Grimes ’28, an international business and entrepreneurship major, said he was very invested in the visit to Yellow Door Energy. 

“The vice president and the head senior director really engaged us. They really presented what they did to get to the position they were, as well as how they’re helping the company,” he said. 

He appreciated the time and effort that the executives spent with the students and how they conveyed the degree to which they love the companies they work for. 

Douglas Nice ’29, an international business and finance major, said he, too, enjoyed the Yellow Door Energy company. 

He was impressed by the scale of the company’s projects, and about how they implement the solar panels within Dubai’s infrastructure, installing them in parking lots or on top of skyscrapers, he said. 

The trip, however, wasn’t all business. 

The group visited the Museum of the Future, where students explored cutting-edge technologies, AI, space exploration and sustainability; they saw over 150 million flowers blooming in Dubai’s Miracle Garden; and they visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, where students donned traditional headscarves. 

Students let loose the last day by dune bashing, riding camels and embarking on a safari in the Arabian Desert, before making their way back to Tampa.