The Intercultural Honors Experience (IHE) is a competitive honors program in which students gain intercultural knowledge, insight to interdisciplinary learning, and motivation to participate in study away opportunities. Franklin College offers this course in the spring to underclassman students who wish to learn more about different cultures and experiences around the world. Students will showcase their research findings in a public symposium on May 15, presenting papers based on their studies. Those who participate will also be eligible for the IHE Scholarship, which supports a semester abroad. The spring 2025 course will study ‘Ayahuasaca to Zombies:’ The A to Z Supernatural in Contemporary Societies.

The students of IHE this year will explore the concept of the supernatural through the lens of different cultures. The class will discover the intersection of mystical and paranormal legends in communities across the globe. Students will then dissect the cultural influence behind these legends and the societal impact associated with them. Hilary Florian, Ph.D., professor of chemistry, and Lourdes Hurtado, Ph.D., professor of history, will serve as instructors for the course.

The students selected to enroll in this year’s IHE class are:

Abby Blight, a freshman, of Franklin.

Ellen Durham, a sophomore, of Coatesville.

Alexandra Goodwin, a freshman, of Centerville.

Grace Hattabaugh, a sophomore, of Columbus.

Conner Jewell, a sophomore, of Edinburgh.

Nathan Jones, a sophomore, of Brownsburg.

Sydnee Kidwell, a freshman, of Batavia, Ohio.

Mei Longstreth, a junior, of Greenwood.

Allison Meyer, a sophomore, of Columbus.

Olivia O’Neal, a freshman, of Danville.

Jaynie Salyers, a sophomore, of Franklin.

Jacob Saucier, a freshman, of Franklin.

Laura Sickmeier, a junior, of Greenwood.

Courtney Tsamba, a freshman, of Harare, Zimbabwe.

Halle Underwood, a freshman, of Trafalgar.

Riley Wallace, a junior, of Cloverdale.

Anne Wolfe, a freshman, of Indianapolis.

Shianne Young, a freshman, of Franklin.

For more information, contact the Franklin College Office of Communications at (317) 738-8185.

By: Katie Thoman ’26

Franklin College Pulliam Fellow