Rebecca Nicole Garcia

A long-time desire to become an archaeologist propelled Rebecca Garcia to major in anthropology at FIU. Through coursework, she built a foundation in the study of humanity and solidified her research, writing and teamwork skills. Rebecca took a course in “Religions of Classical Mythology” taught by her mentor Janet McDaniel in the FIU Honors College. One religious studies course led to another, which led to another, each one sparking her fascination with the discipline. Discovering she could further explore history, language, culture and other topics of interest, Rebecca was sold on pursuing another degree in religious studies. Rebecca credits her degrees with giving her the capacity to better empathize and communicate with people, skills she says are critical in today’s interconnected and complex society.

In the classroom, Rebecca has conducted and presented research on the polytheistic, Canaanite religions of the Near East and Northeast Africa. She has also become proficient in Greek, Aramaic and Hebrew. For the past three years, Rebecca has worked in the Mt. Zion Archaeological Dig in Jerusalem, Israel where she has gained experience in excavation, record-keeping and site management.

Rebecca’s commitment to scholarship goes beyond the classroom. She has served as the president and treasurer of FIU’s chapter of Theta Alpha Kappa, Religious Studies Honor Society. Rebecca also volunteers as a note-taker for students with disabilities through the FIU Disability Resource Center.

Rebecca is graduating with a 4.0 GPA. She plans on pursuing graduate education in archaeology and hopes to better the field through research.