The Office of Study Abroad congratulates the winners of this year’s annual Study Abroad Photo Contest.
Photo submissions highlights the many ways in which St. Thomas students are engaging globally on J-term, semester- and year-long programs. The Office of Study Abroad thanks all of the student participants for the opportunity to see the world through your eyes.
Photos were submitted in four categories. First-, second- and third-place winners in each category received cash prizes:
The Global Classroom: Students captured learning happening within the landscape and/or culture of their host country.
A Sense of Place: Students captured the landscape and culture of the unique atmosphere of their host country.
Tommies Abroad: Photos captured St. Thomas students abroad in a way that reflects the overall study abroad experience and/or St. Thomas pride.
Most Epic Selfie: Epic selfies were voted on via the Study Abroad Facebook page to determine a winner
The Office of Study Abroad thanks judges from the following divisions for their time and assistance in selecting our winners:
Marketing, Insights and Communications
Office of International Students & Scholars
Institutional Advancement
College of Arts and Science Department
GHR Fellows Program
The winning photos will be on display in O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library in Coffee Bené, the Anderson Student Center, and on the Study Abroad website and Facebook page.
Congratulations, winners! (Click photos to expand into slideshow.)
By Heather Kilber
I was on a tour in Morocco and the itinerary said we would be seeing “goats in trees.” At first, I was confused and unsure what it meant but our tour guide was quick to tell us that goats in trees are a huge hit in Morocco and we would hopefully see some along the road. We did not see any the whole weekend until we were headed back to the ship when the bus jolted to a stop and our tour guide exclaimed that there were goats in trees on the side of the road. So we all hopped out and ran across the highway (safely) and got an up close view of the goats in trees. Apparently, it is common for goat herders to put their goats in trees during the day as the goats eat the trees and tourists tend to stop by to take pictures. It was so unique and a fun experience. This photo captured my excitement at seeing real goats in trees!
By Heather Kilber
Fish Market: On one of my tours through Mui Ne, Vietnam, we stopped at the local fish market. This is what a typical day looks like for local fishermen, shop owners, and other locals. It begins at the crack of dawn when the fishermen come in with their catches from the night. Restaurant owners and other shop owners will come to the market early in the morning to collect their fish for the day’s meals and sales. Locals have their specific fisherman they go to daily for their fish. This happens every morning, ending in the late morning as the day warms up. This photo captured the authenticity of the Vietnam culture.
By Heather Kilber
This was one of the best experiences of my life! A group of us from Semester at Sea planned this skydiving trip before the semester even started. This was my first time skydiving but it has been at the top of my bucket list for as long as I can remember. I wanted to represent my college as I skydived so I wore my University of St. Thomas shirt. It was an experience like no other. This photo captured my genuine excitement for what it feels like to be freefalling and traveling around the world.
By Cara Brown
We visited a small community near Senchi where we were staying. Mustafa (the young man in the red cape) was a recipient of the Ghana Scholarship Program and we visited his father, a medicine man, at his home, which is in the background. Mustafa’s father was heating an herbal medicine when we arrived. Aida, a St. Thomas graduate student, keeps the fire going.
By Cullen Hilliker
Over Holy Week, I travelled to Rome, Italy to celebrate Easter with the Pope and I was lucky enough to take this selfie with him!
By Ariel Dorsey
Some of my classmates and I were rushing to get to the Eiffel Tower before the sunset. I stopped and snapped this pic when we could see it ahead in sight. This picture captures everything about Paris that I remember: the chaotic drivers, cafes on every street corner, cotton candy sunsets and the iconic Eiffel Tower.
By Cullen Hilliker
This photo is taken in Ronda, Spain. Ronda is a small city located in Southern Spain (surrounded by beautiful terrain and countless olive trees). It is my favorite Spanish city because of its beauty. Pictured behind me is a 322-foot bridge that joins the city.
By Cara Brown
We visited several schools on our trip to compare and contrast private and public educational systems. Monica Habia grew up in Ghana and now works for the University of St. Thomas. Here, we visited a public school in Accra and Monica spoke to the students about the opportunities that education gave her and encouraged them to continue their education.
By Cullen Hilliker
After my academic semester ended, I took advantage of the time I had before work began in the summer to travel. I decided to do a solo backpacking trip through Europe and I spent lots of time hiking the Fjords of Norway.
By Cullen Hilliker
In the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountain range in Northern Spain there lies an old monastery that is home to Our Lady of Montserrat, a venerated icon of The Virgin that dates back to the 1000’s. I spend the weekend in these mountains and hiked to this monastery. This photo was taken along the hike to the monastery.
By Cullen Hilliker
This photo was taken at the top of Mount Teide, a 12,000-foot volcano in Tenerife, Spain. Behind me is the sunrise over the clouds. The hike started at 11:00 PM and we reached the top just as the sun began to rise at 7:30 AM. I couldn’t help but show my Tommie pride in this setting! After appreciating the beauty from on top of the mountain, I hiked back down and finished around 1:30 PM. This was one of my favorite hikes I have ever completed.
