Introducing Kayla O’Meara

Kayla has lived, worked, and traveled through Europe for the better part of the past four years. A graduate of the University of New Hampshire, she holds a B.A. in French and Francophone Studies and has recently returned from completing the first part of her Masters in Modern Literature in Lyon, France. Although her interests include reading, sipping coffee, and meandering through cobblestone streets, her say-yes mentality has launched all kinds of lively and unexpected adventures. Her thirst for exploration began with a study abroad program in Dijon, France, the mustard capital of the world. Since then, she hasn’t quite stopped moving.

While traveling has allowed her to see some incredible destinations, the people will always be what she remembers most. She believes that the best way to experience another culture is to live it. Her advice is to try every local specialty, pick up another language, and tag along with new friends young and old. She’ll often tell you that by living “la vida local” she has learned more in a single night than from any of her books.

Some of her favorite moments from recent travels include riding scooters in Portugal, sampling Beaujolais in Burgundy, bathing in Budapest’s thermal springs, and watching the sun-rise through Stonehenge.

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!