Heidelberg University is a community, a family, comprised of as many personalities as there are people. With our “5 Things to Know” blog, you’ll get to know some of them. You’ll learn about their Heidelberg experience and other informative, fun – even quirky – anecdotes. Together, they tell the Heidelberg story.
Taylor Buhrts admittedly has her fingers in many pies. This junior is majoring in history with a double minor in public history and German, which she’s studied since seventh grade. “My love of history came from my step-father, who came into my life when I was 10,” she says. She’s especially drawn to European history, has a fascination with the Renaissance and loves art and literature. And music. And reading, which brings us full circle back to history. One day, Taylor hopes to be an archivist and “preserve and conserve paper documentation for the future.”
Camp connection
Heidelberg connections form in surprising places. Taylor attended Girl Scout camp every year since the second grade up until her senior year, and that’s where she met Hannah Taulbee, ’17, who trained Taylor to be a counselor. “Hannah told me, ‘You have to check out Heidelberg,’” Taylor recalls. “I was completely dead set on another school, but I came for an overnight visit and found a small school with big impact.” The rest, as they say, is history.
Making a better world
Taylor is extremely engaged at Heidelberg. She’s an admission tour guide, a cheerleader for football and basketball and an original member of SLAMH (Students Leading Awareness for Mental Health). There’s one student organization – Berg Allies – that’s very near to her heart. Taylor’s friend, Ethan, is a member of the LGBTQ community. “I just want to try to make better world for him,” she says.
Sign here, please
She has quite a large collection of autographed books. Her favorites among them: a novel by Jody Casella and Anthony Doerr’s historical fiction novel about WWII, All the Light We Cannot See. “I’ve met him multiple times and had a conversation with him,” she says.
Classically trained
Although she listens to all genres of music, Taylor is classically trained on the violin, having played since age 7. She has played in the pit for a couple of ‘Berg musicals. “I miss it a lot,” she says, noting that her busy schedule at Heidelberg doesn’t allow for the required practice time. She fills in with another stringed instrument. “About three years ago, I took my brother to get a tuner for his guitar and came home with a concert mahogany ukulele.” Naturally, she taught herself to play.
Beads, bedlahs … belly dancing
Taylor has been a belly dancer for about 10 years, studying with her mom. “I love the dancing, the songs, the costumes and seeing my family back home.” Dancers from her studio perform at international festivals, local arts festivals and private parties. “Mostly Egyptian and Turkish styles … it’s super fun,” she says, adding that the colorful, beaded “bedlahs,” or costumes, are extremely heavy.