Office of Education Abroad

Photo Contest Gallery
"This was taken on a short trip with one of my classes. I was walking up to the ruins and thought the sunset combined with the number of students made a great picture. It was a great way to capture how our class was bonding with each other."
"I was captivated by the beauty of the lake and the wonderful serenity of the moment. It will be a lifelong memory of the whimsical joy and wonder that springs from exploration."
"This photograph was taken on one of my cohort's first days at the University of Oxford. We made a point of exploring the city's various charity (thrift) shops for Oxford sweatshirts before heading to the Radcliffe Camera, one of the University's most famous buildings. We had seen so many photos of the city prior to departing, and the Camera, with its singular architecture and status as a true hub for students from all walks of life, continuously stood out to me. My photo, taken on a truly picturesque day (a rarity in Autumn), is exemplary of the experiences I had learning, laughing, and growing at the University of Oxford."
"I captured this moment because it epitomized my time in London especially around Christmas with all the spectacular light displays and the festive atmosphere throughout the city. It was meaningful to me because standing there in the middle of Central London filled me with gratitude for this opportunity to live and study in one of the most amazing cities in the world."
"This was when a group of people I didn’t know very well all decided we wanted to take an adventure from Piraeus, Greece where our ship was docked to Athens, Greece and see the original Olympic stadium. I am seen sitting in the thrones of where Greek royalty sat and watched the games. This was a surreal moment because the Olympics are still historical moments and as a Black, Queer, Non-binary person to be seated in them felt as though my ancestors were proud."
"Karibu: From the Mara to my heart. This picture has helped me reflect on the profound connections forged with the Masai people during my time in Kenya. Each smile in this picture tells a story of friendships and cultural exchange. I will forever be grateful for these shared experiences of my Semester at Sea journey because every port, every culture, and every moment was an invitation to explore, learn, and connect."
"During our first week of orientation in Queenstown, New Zealand, my new friends and I decided to go skydiving together. Jumping out of a plane 15,000 ft high in -40 weather is intimidating, however, we were in it together and we felt the rush of life in a wild, crazy, and beautiful way. It taught us that jumping into the unknown and taking risks truly shapes who you are and makes you a stronger person!"
"I took this picture on my way back to my apartment from my internship. The flags in the picture are a part of the U.S. Navy Memorial. It just blew me away that part of my everyday commute was seeing monuments and pieces of history right there in front of me. And of course, the sky just happened to be gorgeous that day."
This group photo is one of my favorite photos with everybody in our study abroad program. We took it in the famous opera house Le Palais Garnier in Paris. We all agreed that the opera house was our top 3 places we’ve seen in Paris. We were mesmerized by the architecture and the significance of this monument.
Sydney's central business district (CBD) holds so many memories for me; whether I was spending time with my newfound friends through the city who now mean a lot to me, trying a new restaurant or cafe, visiting a touristy spot, completing a class assignment that required me to snapshot the city's billboards for my advertising class, or simply taking in the views as a city-lover. This was taken on a beautiful sunny day in February during rush hour when it was summer in Australia, which surprisingly feels too chaotically organized in the most charming way.
I wanted to show some pictures of places and friends from my experience. The 120 eggs in the fridge is my favorite one.
This photo was taken on the last day that I was in Scotland. The last thing on my bucket list was to pet a highland cow. I made sure I did that before I left to wrap up the most amazing adventure of my life.
I remember being on this cliff and feeling like the world stopped for a minute, soaking it all in and accepting that this was the most beautiful sight in the world, the water was a beautiful shade of turquoise and blue. In the moment I recall feeling at peace and looking around to endless ocean.
I took a walk around the city and saw this as I crossed over the bridge. Something told me to snap a photo so I did and I'm glad I went with my gut feeling.
These photographs captured the amazement I felt at that moment, whether in Chinatown, Stonehenge, Christ Church, or the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. The nature, culture, and energy seen in a country full of past and present scholars and containing history that is the basis of our understanding of empire was beyond an experience. It is a core memory.
I took this photo during my first visit to see the iconic London sights after beginning my study abroad in London. I was crossing the Tower Bridge and paused to look at the architectural juxtaposition across the river. This combination of century-old historic buildings and modern skyscrapers vividly represents the essence of London's unique and relevant cultural life.
This was our third day in Cairo. We had just traveled from visiting and climbing down inside the Giza Pyramids, pictured behind us, to the middle of the desert. As we stood surrounded by camels, I looked off and saw this stunning view of the pyramids in the background. I turned to my two close friends on the trip and asked if they wanted to take a photo with my film camera. I had no idea if the picture would develop well under the harsh desert sun, but I knew that if it did, it would become one of my most treasured memories—a perfect image of an extraordinary day.
I captured this moment as I has just finished touring the opera house and was with girls from my group. Enjoying this moment with my new found friends I knew that even though I was over 7,000 miles from home that everything was going to be okay, it was a new chapter of my life to explore, and I was where I was meant to be.
Exploring acropolis with my best friend from CLU and it meant a lot for me
This photo of my friend Kylie and me was taken during our last few days in Japan. My friends and I had all wanted to take a day trip to Kyoto for a while and we finally got the chance to go to the famous Kinkakuji (Golden) Temple in Kyoto. It was really nostalgic for Kylie and me as the first day we met at Kansai Gaidai we had talked about going to the "Golden Temple," and finally being able to go and see it in person meant a lot to us.
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