Why do so many people choose to study abroad? And how does their time in other countries benefit them in the long run?
Here at Keene, there are multiple opportunities for students to visit and study in different countries and places around the world. There are three upcoming trips this school year, one of which is being held by the Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. The trip was created for the broader community and will visit France, Germany and the Netherlands. Professor Philip Barker and Director of Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies Kate Gibeault will be leading it.
Barker, who works as the head of the Honors Society, stated that he believes any opportunity to study abroad is a good experience for students and the community as a whole.
“I think one of the core ideas of the Cohen Center from the beginning was that not only would it be helping to educate students on campus but that it has a public outreach component, that it’s important to educate the broader public about the holocaust and about mass atrocities,” Barker said regarding the upcoming trip.
“I think in the past, the Cohen Center had done a number of these sorts of trips. Where you take the broader general community to learn up close about these issues.”
Barker said he believes trips like these are beneficial to the students and other people involved, as they provide unique learning opportunities and depict different perspectives on historical situations. The Cohen Center trip is going to be focused on international laws and human rights and is scheduled for March of 2025.
The Honors program, meanwhile, has two upcoming trips this school year, both scheduled in May. Christina Wright-Ivanova, coordinator of keyboard studies, will lead the music-focused trip that is intended to go to Austria and the Czech Republic. The other trip will be heading to Paris and is going to be led by Gibeault. This trip will focus on the French’s perspective about the Holocaust and what happened in France around the time of WWII.
There are students here at Keene who have participated in the study abroad program. Cora Marchant is a sophomore student who came to Keene from Manchester, England as a part of the program.
“I really like study abroad. When I first came into it I was nervous and didn’t get along with the people I came here with,” said Marchant. “But then I started to meet new people and get to hear their perspective and how they think about things. It’s helped me grow my confidence and helped me do things I never thought I would do. I’ve met people who I think will be my lifelong friends.”
Chloe Erno can be contacted at
cerno@kscequinox.com
