An active community member, Mickey was the co-director of the EQUIP Rehabilitation Clinic, a participant in many international mission trips, played women’s field hockey as an undergraduate and participated in Camp No Limits.

Mickey was a dedicated member of the physical therapy department who left an enduring legacy after she passed away in an accident in July 2021.

“Payton was a natural-born leader. She inspired others with passion, optimism, compassion and hope. Her influence was palpable, grounded in authentic and genuine thoughts and actions.  She was a role model of integrity and service to others, an enduring legacy.  Knowing she had been blessed, she never missed an opportunity for living in the moment with abundant joy, her heart and spirit fully open for giving and receiving,” said Linda Bedard, EQUIP faculty director.

Mickey’s friends were determined to find the best way to remember her – they came together to create a book legacy in partnership with the Edward and Barbara Netter Library at Quinnipiac.

Over several months, Mickey’s former classmates, friends, and family put together the Payton Mickey, DPT, Health & Wellness Collection, amassing more than 150 of her favorite books. Earlier this semester, they held an official book dedication ceremony in the library on the North Haven Campus.

“We wanted the collection to be valuable to the Quinnipiac community in promoting health and wellness, including how to evaluate health information for personal decision-making. In addition to books, there are handouts for students on topics such as finding trustworthy health-related content on the web, as well as campus health and wellness initiatives,” Professor Linda Bedard said.

The collection is both online and physical, and features a few collections dedicated to promoting health and wellness within the community. The overall collection is maintained and expanded by Quinnipiac libraries.

The main collection is the health and wellness physical collection, duplicated in the Edward and Barbara Netter and Arnold Bernhard libraries. The health and wellness online guide provides information about Mickey and how the collections came to be. There are also periodic special additions to the Netter Library Leisure Reading Collection including crime and mystery titles.

“I think Payton would have told us to live courageously, to love large, to find someone in need and make their life better, to find opportunity around every corner, to sing, dance, laugh, and celebrate your authenticity and individuality, to embrace the ebbs and flows in life for they are, in fact, your story. Keep Payton’s story alive, by bringing goodness and joy to this world in your own special and unique way,” Bedard said.

For anyone interested in learning more about the Payton Rae Mickey Collection, they can visit the Arnold Bernhard Library website.