Michael P. Sullivan ’88, International Human Rights Law
The lessons I learned while a history major at PC have accompanied me, and shaped my thinking, throughout my post college experience. Perspectives that I gained while a student in Dr. Sickinger’s course on totalitarianism in Nazi Germany were particularly relevant and came to mind while I was working on, and being interviewed about, the conflicts in Bosnia Hercegovina and Kosovo. And having assessed the rise and fall of empires during PC’s Development of Western Civilization program provided me with a useful source of insight that I was able to apply during future international relations efforts, including the years when I was working on Rule of Law issues in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and assisting with the drafting of the Iraqi Constitution in Baghdad, Iraq.
Outside of the work context, I fondly recalled Dr. O’Malley’s outstanding course on Ireland when I was visiting the remains of the house where my mother was born in County Cork. The house had been destroyed during the Irish War of Independence by the Black and Tans and this conflict was a topic upon which Dr. O’Malley had lectured on brilliantly. So, it seems that studying history at PC turned out not only to be a 4-year experience followed by a degree – but, rather, the start of a lifelong journey that continues to offer lessons from history which enable me to assess and tackle modern challenges related to my work.
