Study Abroad Photo Contest 2016 Winners

People

First Place:  Samantha Ebersold
Old Town Square, Prague. This photo was taken in between classes. Little girl popping giant bubbles.

Second Place:  Samuel Aviles
Grahamstown, South Africa. My friend, Nkosazana Fikile wanted a photoshoot with her cultural headwear.

Third Place:  Katherine McCormack
Isla de Taquile, Lake Titicaca. A young local child showing off.

Place

First Place:  Samantha Ebersold
The Dancing House. Prague old and new. Newest building, oldest tram.

Second Place:  Jimmy Feng
Lake Louise, Banff National Park. Very fortunate to have the sun peak through the clouds right before we were leaving.

Third Place:  Sam Frenzel
I never felt like as much of a Dutchie as when I explored the beautiful farmlands outside of Groningen on my bike!

Culture

First Place:  Jessica Beneway
Moray and a circle of Peruvians praying to their ancestors

Second Place:  Emily Reiter
A Day's Work - taken in Sipi Falls, Uganda

Third Place:  Samuel Aviles
Grahamstown, South Africa. One of the mama's dressed in traditional clothing looks over the town.

People’s Choice

First Place:  Jimmy Feng
Island Lake, British Columbia. The unparalleled natural beauty of western Canada and its mountains.

Second Place:  Katherine McCormack
Machu Picchu, Cusco, Perú. I mean come on, can it get any better? Machu Picchu and this majestic llama?

Third Place:  Edward Murphy
Baths at the Royal Alcázar of Seville, Spain: I love the reflections in the water.

Epiphany

First Place:  Megan Metz
I traveled down to the southern tip of South Korea, a city called Busan. We went to a hole in the wall restaurant and for the first time I was able to order a meal confidently in Korean. It was a small victory but the the lady taking our orders seemed amused/impressed by my basic vocabulary. It felt awesome to fit in for a moment while living somewhere as a foreigner.

Second Place:  Noah Koven
This photo represents the whole of my study abroad. Visiting countries I had only read about and seeing the history of these places makes one feel like such a small part of what is an ever changing world.  My place in the world is small, yet significant, just as this lone traveler is compared to the gigantic rock formations.

Third Place:  Hannah Mrakovic
Before I began my study abroad program, I travelled to Croatia on my own to meet my father's side of the family who I had never met before. Although they brought me to new places, introduced me to many people, and gave me a glimpse of their culture through their eyes, I was out to explore by myself on many occasions. I don't mind being alone, but at times I did feel detached from everyone as an outsider. I experienced quite a bit of culture shock the first week. There were times when I felt confused ("I feel out of place, I don't belong here") and lost (not knowing the language doesn't exactly help).  As time went on, I got a grip on the culture and picked up a few Croatian words and phrases. It took me until the end of my trip to realize that there is something exhilarating yet comforting about being in a place where no one knows your name or who you are (besides my family, of course). At the end, everything came together and I was grateful that I had my family there for me along the journey. I had learned more about my family, the culture, the language, and myself that I would have never learned had I not taken this trip. I had a stronger sense of belonging.  I took this photo the day before I left Croatia. It shows my reflection in a piece of artwork with Croatian writing. I believe it is representative of my experience in Croatia, and finally drawing a parallel between myself and my Croatian identity.  Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Croatia

Overall Winner

Samuel Aviles
Having gotten through apartheid only in the 90's, the revolutionary spirit has carried over into this generation of students. Protesting the university's poor response to sexual assault victims, students barricaded and shut down the school. The four in this picture were the first four students to get arrested from the protest. While we protest in America, it takes a lot to get the movement going. In South Africa, if there is an injustice, the people will not remain quiet.