PERSPECTIVE
RETURN TO STUDY ABROAD WHEN I STEPPED off the plane in Israel, I had no idea of the impact that country would have on me. Walking through the tunnel from the airplane to the airport, I read the words printed on the wall: “Welcome to Israel. Your life will never be the same.” My time in Jerusalem was life changing. I experienced falafel, a warm, round food that’s fluffy on the inside, crisp on the outside, with hints of cilantro and parsley that make your mouth water on rainy days in the Old City. I discovered that the piercing but beautiful sound of the call to prayer waking you up at four in the morning will be the first thing you miss. Above all, I learned that the people who live on the other side of the world from me are incredibly kind, and that Jerusalem is a place where the Savior and His teachings live. Studying abroad is a life-changing experience that the Kennedy Center and the College of Humanities make possible through financial, teaching, and networking resources they have developed over decades. Study abroad programs under the direction of the Kennedy Center began in 1965 in Salzburg. “The program ran from February to May and included skiing the Alps, a Beatles concert, and studying behind the Iron Curtain in Budapest and Prague,” says Aaron Rose, Kennedy Center coordinator of international study programs. Since then, study abroad programs have expanded to many countries around the world. In conjunction with the Kennedy Center, the College of Humanities (through Humanities+*) has helped students find study abroad and internship opportunities to prepare them for post-graduation careers. During the fall of 2021, the college sponsored and provided financial backing for programs in London, Morocco, and Spain. If circumstances allow, students will have the 10
BYU COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES
opportunity during the winter and summer of 2022 to study in a variety of locations, including England, Scotland, Wales, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, and France. Rose explains, “The International Study Programs office wants to see students reaching the aims of a BYU education in a culturally diverse setting.” When I stepped back on the plane to come home after eleven weeks in Jerusalem, I finally understood what the phrase on the wall of that airport tunnel meant. I held on to the friendships I made, and I pondered the lessons I learned and the new person I’ve become. Studying abroad is so valuable in helping individuals expand their minds and world-view; it’s a journey that really does impact one’s life. Truly, “your life will never be the same.” *Humanities+ is a program that helps BYU Humanities College students build bridges between their humanities majors and their careers.
Photographs courtesy of J. Scott Miller, Zachary Nutall, Alyssa Lyman, McKay Christensen, Ty Duffy, and John Bennion.
by Madison Selcho (Journalism ‘22)
