BLUFFTON — Carley Lester, of Chesapeake, is participating in a Bluffton University cross-cultural experience in Israel and Palestine this month.

Lester, along with other Bluffton students, will visit significant biblical and historical sites and meet with Israeli and Palestinian people.

Participants focus on the geography and archaeology of the region, the history of the land and its people, and current religious and political conflicts in the Middle East.

Lester, daughter of Kent and Sandy Lester, is a junior majoring in dietetics. She was a 2016 graduate of Chesapeake High School.

This experience will fulfill Bluffton’s undergraduate cross-cultural requirement that must be completed before graduation. Students can either complete a cross-cultural experience or take six credit hours in one foreign language.

Founded in 1899 and affiliated with Mennonite Church USA, Bluffton University has an enrollment of around 1,000 students and features 16 NCAA Division III athletic teams. Bluffton’s legacy is expressed in its enduring values of discovery, community, respect and service which are woven into the academic program and campus community.