During two years of pandemic, most of the field camps have been cancelled, including the K-State international field camp in France. We are glad to announce that our field camp resumed this last summer with 7 K-State students attending to it. We are very grateful to the generous donations and scholarships from our alumni which have helped to support our students participate in both this and other field experiences, particularly through the Elden & Sylvia H. Leasure, the Henry V. Beck and the Frank E. Byrne funds.
Check out our K-State field camp story map here?
Below are some testimonies from three of our students:
Madeline Akers, Dual Major Geology and Civil Engineering
“My field camp experience was extremely rewarding. I was so glad that I was able to use my geology know ledge from K-State in a more in-depth way, and I learned so much in those three weeks of study. Even more than that I was able to maintain some amazing friendships, not only with my fellow K-State students but with the French students as well. I was amazed at how welcoming and helpful the French students that we met were. Being in France was also fantastic, I was able to experience French culture in such an amazing way. I loved that it felt like I was experiencing more authentic French life because we weren’t in touristy cities, we were in these beautiful smaller towns that I loved. I will remember my field study experience for the rest of my life.”
Isaiah Euler, Geology and Soil Science major
“To be completely honest, the idea of going to France did not initially excite me. I was just looking to graduate and move on to my professional career. I am so glad I gave it a second thought because field camp in France was truly one of the most memorable experiences of my life. This program is unlike most because it is actually an exchange program where we are learning side by side with French students and with French professors. This contrasts the typical study aboard program where Americans go overseas but do not get the chance to integrate with the foreign students. This unique opportunity gave us geology students the ability to make close personal connections with the French students. We were also able to learn from one another, they taught us their own techniques in how they conducted field work, and we were able teach them ours. It was so much fun getting to go through this experience with some of my close K-State geology friends. While in France we spent a ton of time together and learned to rely on each other and also on the French students. In our three weeks in France we develop lifelong friendships and fantastic memories. Another cool aspect to this the exchange program is the fact that French student have come back to the U.S. to study at K-State for the semester. This has allowed me to continue my friendship with them and show what it means to be a Wildcat.”
Jayden Payne, Geology major
“When I first heard about the opportunity to travel to France for field camp, I had no idea it would become a reality for me. I quickly turned the thought down due to it seeming like an unrealistic dream that I would not be able to reach due to the cost and having so many unanswered questions. However, when I was informed about the opportunities of scholarships and other funding available, I 
began to pursue some of those questions in my head and discovered that this can be true for me. Thanks to the funding that I received I was able to travel to France with six other students from K state and experience Europe like I always dreamed of. Our time their consisted of field work in the Jura mountains exploring the beautiful terrain and landscape that much of France has to offer. Outside of the natural beauty of France, we also got to experience several different cities and villages, foods, and indulged in the amazing culture of this country. Living in a foreign place for several weeks allowed us to make many friends with French students that we are still in contact with today and create memories that will last a lifetime. I will forever have a desire to return to these places again someday but for now I am grateful that I got to experience these amazing places and people at least once.”