Payton Williams
Trip Leader
Payton is from north Texas but moved to the panhandle to go to West Texas A&M University, where she graduated in 2022 with a degree in Animal Science. Payton will start in the fall of 2022 at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine VERO 2+2 Program in Canyon, Texas. During college Payton worked in many on-campus positions including her time working as a Resident Assistant, serving in the Student Government, and working with AmeriCorps as a Student Success Coach. Starting in high school Payton worked in a small animal clinic and later joined the team at an equine hospital. This has provided her with experience in both small and large animal medicine. While in college she worked in a small animal clinic in DFW and continued gaining hands-on learning experience with livestock and horses at WTAMU. Payton traveled with Loop Abroad in 2021 to Costa Rica, where she got her first experience in wildlife medicine. Her trip with Loop Abroad was her first time out of the country. She has always loved to travel, but even more so after the experience Loop Abroad provided her. Payton had a desire to continue working alongside the Loop Abroad programs because of their appreciation for the culture in the places that they travel and the opportunities they create for the students to give back to the communities they’re in. After finishing veterinary school, Payton hopes to have the opportunity to serve rural communities as a veterinarian and assist with 4H and FFA groups. However, she also plans to continue traveling and using veterinary medicine as a way to connect and serve those around her. In her free time, Payton loves spending time outside doing things like hiking, paddle boarding, or kayaking with her fiancĂ©, Cody, and their dog Charlie. Payton is very close with her family and so is often making trips to see them or sharing her experiences with them through FaceTime.