Katherine Heidal

Hi everyone! My name is Katherine Heidal and I am a rising senior at Furman. I am majoring in Biology on the environmental and conservation track. I am from Raleigh, North Carolina and am so excited to be a part of this program. 

I was drawn to this program partly because of my prior positive experiences with the Cothran Center and partly due to the rich history and culture of Greece. One of my first experiences at Furman was a Cothran Center program called Summer Connections, which I participated in the summer before my freshman year. During Summer Connections I learned a lot about myself and others, and I am excited to learn more through this trip. I was also drawn to this experience because I have always been very interested in ancient history and cultures, including ancient Greece. I have never visited anywhere like Greece and am so excited to learn about the history of the places we are going to visit, and to see how history has shaped Greece is today. 

The cup activity: The class (and leaders) were given an assignment to be completed before the first day of class. Everyone was given an empty cup, and the instructions were to (i) put several things in that cup that help to describe our identities, and (ii) bring that cup to class on the first day, and use it to introduce ourselves to one another. 

In my cup I decided to include: 

1. A 3D printed elephant my dad made me when I was in elementary school. Sadly I don't get to see my family as much as I like, but this elephant always reminds me that they are always supporting me and everything I do. 

2. A piece of volcanic rock my roommate gave me last semester. She traveled abroad in Italy and Turkey last spring and brought back some pieces of rock from when she visited Pompeii. I love how it reminds me of my best friend and the mineralogy class we struggled through together. 

3. Lastly, I would include a plane ticket from when I went on a study away trip to Belize in April. I was able to learn so much about Belizean culture, as well as about different important species that live in Belize. I was also able to meet so many amazing people that I would not have in my life otherwise.