This summer, three Blackhawk Technical College Nursing students will walk in the footsteps of Florence Nightingale, learning and growing in the country where modern nursing began.
Breanna Santiago, Rebecca Bolton and Morgan Mounts are heading to Sunderland, England, as part of a study abroad experience for the course Comparative Trends in Nursing and Global Healthcare. During their three-week stay, they’ll earn college credit while immersing themselves in topics like history of nursing in Sunderland and London, midwifery and maternity, pediatric nursing, mental health nursing and more. They will also be visiting some related sites, including the Florence Nightingale Museum.
For Breanna, who grew up in Green County and is the treasurer of Blackhawk’s Student Nurse Association, this trip is an opportunity to experience a different healthcare system and see how nursing is practiced in another country.
“It’s a chance to learn from a global perspective and bring that insight back with me. Plus, the cultural experience and chance to grow personally are just as exciting,” she said.
Breanna learned about the travel opportunity at the Wisconsin Student Nurse Association Convention in Wisconsin Dells.
“That really sparked something in me. I’ve always been interested in learning about other cultures, and England has such a rich history in nursing, especially with the impact of Florence Nightingale,” Breanna said. “Studying there feels like a unique opportunity to explore the roots of modern nursing while gaining insight into new approaches to care. So, when the chance came up, I impulsively signed up! Studying abroad has been a dream of mine since high school, and I knew I couldn’t pass it up.”
Like Breanna, Morgan, who graduated from Beloit Memorial High School, is excited about broadening her education while visiting a different country for the first time.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that I did not want to pass up. I anticipate this may present more opportunities for my future,” she said.
For Rebecca, who grew up in southern California and has lived in Wisconsin since 2020, the trip is a chance to go back to a country she once called home. She lived there for about 18 months when her husband was transferred there for work.
But studying in England will allow her to see “how their healthcare systems work because it is very different from our systems in the U.S.”
While Breanna prepares to take the NCLEX-RN exam and start her career, Rebecca and Morgan will return to campus in the fall to continue their studies. All three will bring back more than just credit hours — they’ll carry with them firsthand insights into global healthcare, deeper cultural awareness, and an experience that will shape their approach to nursing for years to come.