Introducing Kent Moore!
Kent graduated from the University of South Carolina with a BS in International Business and earned his MA in International Relations from Leiden University. As an undergraduate student he couldn’t get enough of education abroad, studying in Thailand, among other locations, and working as a Peer Advisor in USC’s Study Abroad Office. After college Kent created abroadyssey.com, which serves as an orientation resource for education abroad participants and is an expression of his firm belief that study abroad is one of the best decisions a person can make. With this credo in mind, he enjoys helping students discover the world in his current role. Kent has taveled widely in Europe and Southeast Asia, most recently living and studying in the Netherlands. He can be found in Upstate South Carolina hiking with friends, cooking with his wife, playing soccer, or making large piles of sawdust.
What’s an OPC?
As part of your customized faculty-led program abroad, you will be led and supported by a CISabroad On-Site Program Coordinator (OPC). OPCs are experienced and well trained staff members, there to ensure the schedule goes according to plan. Each OPC attends an extensive training program that involves a range of modules – risk management, emergency response, safety, logistics’, cultural awareness, communication, culture shock, budgeting, social media, La Vida Local and customer service.
The primary role of the OPC is to facilitate the in-country implementation of the assigned customized program, by providing safety / emergency response and logistical support. During the program, the OPC is responsible for managing the day-to-day logistics of the assigned customized program and providing in-country support to both the faculty and students. Using personal travel experience, professional work experience (and where possible language knowledge), the OPC will help create a program environment that is safe and culturally engaging. The CISabroad OPC may or may not be an in country local. The majority of CISabroad OPCs are expats from the US, who have travelled, lived, volunteered, or worked abroad in the program destination.
The OPC is not a registered tour guide nor expected to provide tours of sites visited during the program. If the program is one that requires specific guided tours of various sites, these will be provided separately. The OPC provides a general neighborhood walking tour to help the group identify the nearest bank/ATM, pharmacy, laundry-mat, grocery store and other similar conveniences.
The OPC’s role allows Faculty to focus on the academic objectives and the students to make the most of their time overseas!