Kilcoyne's experiences in Israel gave him greater insight into the Middle East conflict because he was able to see it from a different perspective as a result of his immersion in the culture.
"The information I gained was [what] we Americans find difficult to grasp while reading the front page of The New York Times," said Kilcoyne.
Paige Nichols, A&S '08, studied abroad in Argentina and is currently a student advisor for the Office of International Programs (OIP).
"It is easy to lump together a continent," Nichols said. "It is neat to have an Argentinean professor. It lets you gain an in-depth understanding of the Latin American culture and learn from a different perspective."
When Kilcoyne traveled to Morocco, he recalled a moving experience where he saw "a woman dressed in rags with a screaming child in her arms, who looked 20 years older than his 90-year-old grandmother."
He could not sleep for three nights and it was this "vivid, decontextualized experience" that enabled him to have a more in-depth understanding of social problems such as poverty.
"Having academic experience outside [Boston College], you can meet people from different countries, different areas they have always wanted to go, and having a global awareness is definitely an asset," said Margaret Ramirez, manager of resources and events in the Office of International Programs.
"We live in a diversified country and I think it is important for students to learn about different cultures and become more mature and understanding."
Kilcoyne also brought forth a new perspective on a widely held American belief.
"We as Americans, I like to suggest, have experienced two Copernican revolutions: 9/11 and the war in Iraq. By Copernican revolution I mean the view that the world does not revolve around us," Kilcoyne said.
"The presumption that we are in the center of the universe is unhealthy and cripples how we relate to the rest of the world."
Spring Break
