Education Abroad

Photo and Essay Contest

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Education Abroad Photo Contest

Please take a moment to look through these colorful photos, taken by SCSU Education Abroad students and entered into the annual photo contest sponsored by the Center for International Studies. These images provide a glimpse into the students’ amazing experiences as they studied in a variety of places across the globe. We hope the pictures inspire you to begin planning your own educational journey!

For more information, browse through the programs on our site, then visit the Center for International Studies/Education Abroad, located in Lawrence Hall—we will help make your dreams a reality.  

2016 Photo Contest Submissions

  • Alnwick Castle from Afar, Ashley Burdine: The Alnwick Castle is a home away from home. I spent three months living and having a great time in Alnwick and this picture depicts the peaceful environment that I was able to learn many new things. The world is a small place and when I look at his picture I am able to call a place across the world, home, and it is a wonderful feeling.
  • The Alnwick Gardens, Ben Thomson: This photo was taken from the entrance of the Alnwick Gardens, looking onto the stunning fountain that serves as only a taste to the beautiful and complex assortment of gardens, orchards, and mazes within. It is located alongside Alnwick Castle, where we as students lived. The Alnwick Gardens are an excellent place to volunteer, with many different activities depending on the season. We cared for the plants, helped prepare arts and crafts for visiting children, and worked alongside locals our own age, sharing laughs about each other's cultural differences.
  • Australian Bliss, Aaron Gnirk: My trip to Melbourne, Australia was my very first big excursion when I was studying abroad. The day we spent on Australia's Great Ocean Road was a very long and memorable day to say the least, consisting of seeing my first wild koala, a long bus tour, and the 12 apostles. Seeing the 12 apostles was quit the surreal moment for me, the beauty of the area is absolutely incredible.
  • Bagan, Micah Bank: This photo was taken in my now favorite place on earth, Bagan. Bagan is a tiny town in Myanmar where thousands of ancient Buddha pagodas lay abandoned in fields free for you to frolic in. After an 8 hour overnight bus ride from the Capital of Myanmar, Yangon, me and three friends had arrived in Bagan at around 4 in the morning with no plans, no hotel reservations, and also no sleep. Being that it was 4 in the morning and we were in the middle of rural Myanmar, taxis were hard to come by. We begged the bus driver to call us a taxi to see if a driver can bring us to a pagoda so we can watch the sunrise. To our surprise, and through a lot of translating, a taxi driver arrived. He brought us to a pagoda where we kicked off our shoes, lugged our huge backpacks up, and slept on the top of a 1500 year old pagoda only to watch the most beautiful sunrise I will ever see in my entire life.
  • Duomo, Zoljargal Bazarragcha: The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore is the main church of Florence, Italy. The Historic Centre of Florence attracts millions of tourists each year. Like other tourists, our study abroad program group visited the famous church Duomo. The architecture of this fascinating building was shocked me. Every corner, every wall and every side of the Duomo was beautiful. Its beauty attracts millions of people to itself.
  • View from the Boboli Garden, Zoljargal Bazarragcha: More than a garden, more than just a "green lung" in Florence, the Boboli Gardens are one of the greatest open-air museums in Florence. You can see the perfect skyline of the beautiful city Florence. We spent almost whole day in the garden. The Boboli Garden consist of different areas. Me and my friend found the highest place in the garden, and I took the adorable fascinating picture of beautiful city.
  • Breakfast: The most important meal, Annataya Schmid: This photo was taken at the Buccaneer's Backpackers. We arrived late, in the dark, and all traveled out. The Backpackers was way out in the middle of nowhere and let's just say the car took a beating from all the potholes. The 4 of us girls were tired and done with each other so we got our room and went straight to bed. When we woke up in the morning we woke up to the most amazing view and it made all the stressful travels way worth it. We had a great breakfast with a great view, which led us to many more South African adventures on that trip.
  • Cappuccino Sporko, Natalie Sitter: Taking time to enjoy a morning cappuccino is an important part of the Italian culture. This picture symbolizes the many morning coffee breaks that we took with our internship supervisors. Magna Cacao was our favorite place to enjoy a morning cappuccino as well as reflect with our Italian mentors. Unlike the United States, coffee is not a portable drink that everyone carries around with them during the day. In the Italian culture it is important to remove yourself from your work for ten minutes to sit down, enjoy your morning cappuccino, and reflect with those around you.
  • Cheetah Cheesin', Kailyn Anderson
  • Cheetah Walk, Kerrien Smith: This photo shows what was such a unique experience for me to be able to walk an animal that I've never actually seen in person before and have it be such a calm animal with me. I was terrified the whole entire time, but this big jungle cat is just walking with me like a dog would. It was a highlight of my education abroad experience because it would have never happened in my entire life if I had not chosen to study in South Africa.
  • Children, Elizabeth McNamara: After touring the townships these kids come from, it was so hard to wrap my head around their pure happiness. Despite every obstacle and issue at home, these kids were the most joyful children I've ever seen. They were smiling, dancing, singing, and hugging all of us. Why can't we act the same? We are constantly wanting more and never satisfied with how fortunate we already are. We all have so much more than these kids could ever imagine having, and this trip has really opened my eyes to this harsh reality.
  • Colosseum, Rachel Burke: I had the impression that the Colosseum was roughly the size of Lambeau Field. I had the impression that it was falling apart. I had the impression that it would be exactly like every picture I'd seen before. I couldn't have been more wrong. My own photography doesn't do the Colosseum justice. I struggled to grasp the accomplishment that was made 2,000 years ago. I was in awe of the efforts over two millennium to keep it in such pristine condition. I believe that everyone should witness the Colosseum before they die. It truly is a Wonder of the World.
  • Edinburgh Graveyard, Rachel Knutson: The graveyard in Edinburgh was special to me because a friend and I went off the beaten track and explored the beautiful city. As we approached this graveyard, we saw dates back to the 1500's. This was amazing to me because I had not seen anything like that in the United States. There were even graves for dogs from World War One. The graveyard was on a large hill so we had a beautiful view of the city. This was the first field trip of the trip and one of the most memorable.
  • Elephant Ride at the Market, Kifaya Bishop
  • Fairytales in Franconia, Brikken Jensen: One week after landing in Germany, I took off to Franconia, a region in Bavaria, to visit my German relatives whom I had never met. Two of them, Hans Peter and his wife Helga, drove me around the countryside and we went to Dinkelsbuhl. This was my first taste of the fairytale-like cities in Germany that I'd only dreamed of, and I was captivated! It was magical. I fell in love instantly with the culture of Germany and went back to this city during Christmas break too when I revisited the family.
  • Folk Village, Prince Yeber: My name is Prince Yeber, I studied abroad in South Korea Fall 2015. The Global Village program at Yonsei University, Wonju, South Korea was one of the best thing to ever happen in my life. I took a lot of great pictures while I was studying abroad in Korea, but since the photo allowed for submission are limited to just two, I have decided to submit two of my best shots. The second photo was taken at the Korean Folk Village during one of our many field trips taken. The Korean Folk village is a living museum type of tourist attraction in the city of Yongin.
  • Freedom Camping, Justin Anderson: The photo I have submitted is a picture of my group while traveling through New Zealand. The location of the campsite is just outside of Queenstown. The relevance of my picture is to show how beautiful the world is. Just a 10-minute drive out of the city took us to this gorgeous campsite. It was a breathtaking view to wake up to and one of my favorite memories of my study abroad experience.
  • Grand Canal, Noah Julin: Viewing the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy put me speechless. The city seemed to have no organization in roads, instead a significant system of canals, leading to the Grand Canal shown here. Water rises a little every year in Venice, and is predicted to be fully submerged by year 2050. Beauty is prevalent throughout the entire city, but nothing symbolizes this beauty more than the Grand Canal. The gondolas and boats going both ways, right next to each other, with families drying their laundry outside windows above
  • Ha Long Bay, Micah Bank: After sleeping on a massive Vietnamese "Junk Boat" (that's what they call them but they are far from junk) was such a surreal experience. The morning of kayaking, we decided to wake up at about 630 am to catch the end of the sunrise and also because the captain was finished making his delicious Vietnamese coffee. At any rate, kayaking through the massive rock pillars protruding out from the Ha Long Bay waters was something that cannot be explained. The natural sounds and smells that Ha Long Bay creates in the morning is a beautiful mixture of fresh greenery and clean salt water. If you ever have to opportunity to be in Vietnam, Ha Long Bay is a must.
  • I Left My Heart In The Mountains, Josephine Spry: While studying abroad in Australia, my friends and I had some time over Easter break to take some time to explore. It had always been a dream of mine to backpack the legendary mountains covering New Zealand. Being the spontaneous adventures we are, we planned a two-week backpacking trip, bought a one-way ticket to Christchurch New Zealand, and headed for the mountains. This photo brings back an abundance of joy reminding me of not only the struggles and long journey my crew and I endured, but also a reminder of such a foreign place can feel so much like home.
  • Innocence, Lora Hanson: Innocence depicts a picture of a young student at the primary school of Missionvale Care Center. Missionvale Care Center was founded in 1988 by sister Ethel Normoyle. With the intent to share love and compassion with the poor, sister Ethel set up a school and a basic clinic under a tree. I photographed this child while she was enjoying a mid afternoon snack. She has no idea the poverty she lives in, instead she is just happy to be, pure and innocent; her whole life ahead of her. I found such joy and happiness exuded from the South African people.
  • Into the Ruins, Madison Myrvik: Within the mainland of Greece, there are many sites where ancient ruins exist. This picture shows one of the most sacred lands to the Greeks. Delphi was the location of the oracle of Apollo. This site was said to be chosen for the sacred temple of Apollo when Zeus released two eagles in opposite directions, and they came together at this location to signify the center of the earth. The majestic lands are situated in the middle of the gorgeous mountains, with no town seen in the distance. The history and natural beauty of this location is why I picked this photo.
  • Italian Simplicity, Natalie Sitter: Leaving the hustle and bustle of the United States for the quiet and simple lifestyle of Macerata Italy really made me reflect on the importance of taking time to appreciate the beauty in the simplest of things. This image was taken while walking back to our hotel from dinner one night. We walked this path so many times to our internship locations and class and the streets were bustling full of people. Yet during dinner everyone locks their doors to spend time with their families and those they love the most.
  • Jeju Island, Prince Yeber: My name is Prince Yeber, I studied abroad in South Korea Fall 2015. The Global Village program at Yonsei University, Wonju, South Korea was one of the best thing to ever happen in my life. I took a lot of great pictures while I was studying abroad in Korea, but since the photo allowed for submission are limited to just two, I have decided to submit two of my best shots. The first photo was taken at the top of Seongsan, an archetypal tuff cone formed by hydro volcanic eruption upon a shallow seabed about 5 thousand years ago. The Seongsan Ilchulbong is located in Jeju Island.
  • Jump Into Nursing, Lora Hanson: Jump Into Nursing depicts the six nursing students along with their instructor who went to South Africa for Spring Break 2016. The photo was taken on the beach in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. As an adult learner, I took the plunge and jumped into this study abroad experience. I did not know any of the students, as I am an online student. I embraced this experience with an open mind and what I came home with was life changing. South Africa will forever be in my heart and I can’t wait to return to volunteer and Jump Into Nursing again.
  • Jumping for Joy, Mariah Friederichs: This photo truly captures how happy I was to be living and studying in the Alnwick Castle in England. I was walking in the castle yard with my friend on the way to lunch when we decided to stop and take a picture. It is still unbelievable, even to me, to know that the scene in this picture was my everyday occurrence for four months. I am so thankful for the opportunity St. Cloud State gave me and there is not a day that I don't wish I was right back in the present time of this photo.
  • The Curious Kangaroo, Josephine Spry: Imagine waking up underneath the stars, hearing the waves of the ocean gently crash onto the rocks, and breathing in sea salt air. It was the last day we had traveling the east coast of Australia. I remember waking up hearing strange nosies outside of our tent. I stepped out of our tent only to be greeted by a herd of friendly kangaroos! From the muscular fathers, to baby joeys, it was easy to say over 30 kangaroos decided to hop over and say good morning to us. That was by far the best 6AM wake up call I've ever had.
  • Through Little Girl, McKenzie Sommers: This photo was taken at a daycare in the Port Elizabeth township of Walmer. The township reflects the struggles of poverty in South Africa post-apartheid. The kids who attend this daycare may not get a bed to sleep in at night, food to fill their tummies, or even electricity and running water. This photo truly captures the meaning of this trip for studying race relations in South Africa and how the remnants of the apartheid are still prevalent. This little girl's eyes have seen so much more than we can ever imagine and tell so many stories.
  • A London Bridge, Ashley Burdine: The picture of A London Bridge represents all the new opportunities that I have been lead to during my time abroad and also to come. It shows that life can be colorful and fun while also calming and relaxing. I have realized that I want to travel all over the world and learn new history and the cultures from the wonderful opportunity I was given, studying in England.
  • Madonna and child water fall, Angela Holthe: This picture was taken in front of the Madonna and Child waterfall while hiking in the Hogsback Mountains. While studying abroad you not only have amazing experiences, such as hiking in the Hogsback mountains, but you also meet some pretty amazing people. Pictured is another student from SCSU, Gabriel Rohland, without studying abroad there is a good chance I would have never gotten to know Gabe but because of how close we became during our study abroad experience we are now dating.
  • Meercat, Tamarah Jo Frank: This picture was taken at an animal sanctuary north of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. This animal, the meercat, gained popularity due to the movie The Lion King, which has a meercat character named Tymone! The coolest thing about them is how they like to stand up on their back legs and walk around.
  • Couldn't find any orcs, instead found Milford Sound, Aaron Gnirk: After coasting down mountains for a half hour with no petrol, we found Milford Sound. We took a "three hour tour" of this majestic Fjord. The highlight of my Milford Sound experience was when a group of a dozen or so dolphins started doing tricks around are boat. Being from Minnesota, this was my very first time seeing dolphins and one I will never forget.
  • Napoli, Oh Napoli, Jennifer Miska: Napoli, Oh Napoli, Oh where can I begin? Your streets are filled with wonderment just waiting to sink in. From Pizza carts to laundry lines to coffee shops and more, what really drew me in, you see, was the view just off your shore. Clouds dancing, boats aligning and volcanoes sitting abroad, for this moment that I learned so much I truly do applaud. I had always thought Italy to be all history and cuisine, but you've really gone to show me the world isn't always just what it may seem.
  • First Day of Orientation, Titus Doboyou: This picture was taken at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. This picture represents the risks takers; those who tried to experience their college life in a more diverse way. Although we are different in so many ways, this was the beginning of an amazing advantage. An experience that changes everyone point of view and brought us closer than ever before.
  • Orlo Della Terra - Capri Island, Bailey Italy: LaPoint Orlo Della Terra meaning "edge of the earth" in Italian is what I thought of when encountering this spectacular view on the island of Capri in southern Italy. When observing this view and all of its beauty, I couldn't help but appreciate the vibrant colors in the natural wildflowers surrounding the frame of my picture. I think the colors in this photo really represents the feel of the island of Capri; vibrant and bold. The people were all incredibly friendly, helpful, and full of life, similar to the tones in the image.
  • Parasailing in Malaysia, Laani Xiong: On our last day in Malaysia, we had a free day. Never having parasailed before my friend and I decided we'd try it out in Malaysia. This is an image of us going up. We were told that it was jellyfish season this time of the year, and 10 seconds after this photo, our bottoms were touching the water, which gave us both heart attacks thinking we'd be floating in the middle of the ocean during jellyfish season.
  • Patuxai, War Monument, Laani Xiong: A War Monument in Vientiane Laos, to remember those who fought for Independence from the French. I remember waking up early to venture off for the few hours we had left in Laos before departing to Malaysia. It was a different experience being able to explore alone rather than with a huge group and being able to really take my time to take everything in.
  • The Power of Education, Annataya Schmid: This photo was taken in the library of a primary school in South Africa. I was given the opportunity to volunteer at it. The entire library was a room with 3 shelves of books. We would read to the children books in English once a week for 2 hours. The children were joyful, beautiful, and eager to change the world (learn something new every day). The quote, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." reminds me every day of how some of these children had nothing, but still had all the power to change the world by having the opportunity to go to school every day. Something that I think is taken for granted way more that it should be in the U.S.
  • Prisoners View, Bridgette Malchow: This picture was taken on Robben Island, South Africa. This is the location where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned on the island for 18 years. This is the same view of the mountain that Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners saw while they were on the island.
  • Reflection, Sarah Handel: This photo was taken of Mount Cook on the south island of New Zealand. Although my University was in Australia, this photo and my trip to New Zealand during my experience means a lot to me. I remember when I hiked around this lake in order to see the reflection of the mountains, I thought about how much I had learned through my study abroad experience. I did things I would never have thought I could have done, such as pop over to New Zealand by myself for weeks to explore. This trip changed my life and looking at this photo will always remind me of that.
  • Resort Island, Kifaya Bishop: SCSU students who have families in Laos got the chance to reunite or meet for the first time. I had the opportunity to tag along with a student and her family members. The family welcomed us into their home and we spoke of their lives in Laos. Then, they took us out to eat lunch. We didn't know where we were going, it was over 40 minutes out. It was a beautiful scenic drive that led to this breath taken boat resort. This picture shows our view of where we dine. It was the best food I had during my time in Laos.
  • Robberg Nature Reserve, Austin Johnson: I drove down the Garden Route between Port Elizabeth and Cape Town and witnessed, firsthand, the amazing scenery that South Africa has to offer. I saw a desert landscape filled with Ostrich and cactus and drove a couple hours later to an amazing coastline amongst the mountains. Here, I took a hike in Robberg Nature Reserve to get fresh air and try my luck at spotting the rare African Black Oystercatcher or the rare Blue Duiker. My luck struck out, but I certainly walked away with memories of a beautiful nature reserve to last a lifetime.
  • Row 18, Rachel Burke: When you cover an entire country in fourteen days, it can be hard to keep up with the itinerary. Don't get me wrong - our packed schedule allowed us to make the most of the short time abroad, but some days it seemed like a blur. But not at Post 18. I felt the world slow down. I realized that no amount of time is enough to explore Italy so I better make each experience last.
  • Royal Stomping Grounds - Sevilla, Spain, Bailey LaPoint: This image was taken at the Real Alcázar Palace in Sevilla, Spain. This palace absolutely blew me away and it is hard to capture the essence and detail of this incredible piece of architecture into one photograph. Every room in the palace displayed intricate and beautiful mosaic designs in the Moorish style, which was a popular design style at the time of construction. The architecture is based on the mudejar model which incorporated building styles from Islamic and Christian heritage. The attention to detail with this amazing glass/tile work was something that I had never seen before and I can only imagine how much time and effort was put into the making of this palace. To match the overwhelming exquisiteness of the palace, there was an equally impressive garden behind the building that included exotic flowers, an abundance of orange trees along with other fresh produce and also some peacocks. The vibrant colors of the oranges in the orange trees really complemented the peach color of the garden walls, as captured in this picture.
  • The Ruins of Dunstanburgh, Ben Thomson: The ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle sit atop a cliff, overlooking the crashing waves of the North Sea. Not far from Alnwick Castle, where we stayed as students, we visited the ruins on one of our many fieldtrips around Northumberland. We walked along the tidal pools, finding a variety of sea life on our way to the crumbling castle. Dunstanburgh Castle was built in the 14th century, as a way to spot approaching threats and defend the land against them. A WWII bunker can be seen closer to the shore, built for similar reasons, but for a much different time.
  • Ruins of the Forum, Megan Welshons: On our second day in Italy we took a tour of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. It was one of my favorite tours we took on our trip to Italy. I enjoy history. I always have, something about the stories and lives that happen there. In this picture I see the lives that watched these wonderful structures go up and the lives that watched fall as well.
  • Scenery, Elizabeth McNamara: It is so hard to put into words the emotions I had during this trip. This photo was taken at the top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. Our group spent the last two days of our trip in this beautiful city. Sitting and looking out gave me time to reflect and process all the things that I saw and felt during the last two weeks. It was a perfect place and way to reflect on the entire experience.
  • Semonkong: "Place of Smoke", Austin Johnson: Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu referred to South Africa as being a "Rainbow Nation" for all of its' diverse cultures. To learn more about these diverse cultures I took a trip to the nation within the "Rainbow Nation" called Lesotho. I traveled through the mountains around the Maseru District and enjoyed my time in Semonkong, meaning "Place of Smoke", which served as a refuge for the Bantu ethnic group displaced by the Gun War in the 1880s. Here, I captured the Maletsunyane Falls which contribute to all the moisture in the air creating a "Place of Smoke" among the mountains.
  • Seven Hills, Noah Julin: Without knowing history, this picture means very little. With a knowledge and passion for history, this picture is epic and says more than a thousand words. Romulus and Remus supposedly created Rome on the seven hills. Those seven hills are rather small, but are shown here in the upper part of the picture to the left. This picture was taken from inside the Colosseum, showing the north side of the Arch of Constantine between the Colosseum and the seven hills. This is where the heart of Rome was for many years and was a wonderful sight to see.
  • Sibling Love, Tamarah Jo Frank: This photo of two lion cubs was taken at an animal sanctuary in South Africa. The brother lion is white and likely would have had trouble surviving in the wild, while his sister, is what the average lion cub looks like. When this picture was taken, the brother lion wanted to play with his sister, but she just wanted to take a nap! The beautiful country of South Africa has many animals we don't have in the United States, from Zebra and Giraffe, to the African Elephant and Lion!
  • Our South Africa Squad, Ronald Holloway
  • Sundas River Valley, Ronald Holloway
  • Table Mountain, Angela Holth: This picture was taken on the ferry ride back to Cape Town after touring Robbin's island. The sun was just setting, it was an absolutely beautiful night; such a great way to begin our trip in Cape Town. During a study abroad experience you get to have so many opportunities that you would never otherwise have. Such as taking a tour of Robbin's island, seeing the cell where Nelson Mandela was held, and hearing what it was like to be a prisoner during that time from someone who had been. Nothing will top the experiences I've had while studying abroad.
  • Taxis of Venice, Megan Welshons: We only had two days in Venice, and that was the saddest part of our trip in Italy. The group did get to go onto a gondola ride. The gondolas are the most beautiful of the boat options to ride through the city. In this picture all the gondolas look like taxis along the curb. These taxis of Venice have a beautiful backdrop of the San Giorgio Maggiore island, which makes it that much more beautiful then taxis along the curb of St. Cloud.
  • On top of Table Mountain, Kerrien Smith: This photo is so iconic to me because Table Mountain is really one of the greatest wonders of South Africa. I won't say that it was an easy climb because it was definitely one of the most difficult physical journeys that I've ever accomplished. It was such an amazing experience for me to be able to stand at the top after hours of climbing and be able to say that I've been to the top of Table Mountain. I am always going to be grateful for what I was able to accomplish on my study abroad experience.
  • Torre de Belem, Brikken Jensen: This photo was taken at the top of the Tower of Belem, a castle-like monument on the coast of Lisbon, Portugal. I visited the old, historic and colorful city with my American roommate and a friend I had made at Oktoberfest from Colorado. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I'd go to Portugal! It ended up being one of the best destinations during my whole time abroad. The language, food, transportation, architecture: all of it was so different and beautiful! I learned a lot about myself as a young person and developing traveler.
  • Tsitsikamma National Park, Titus Doboyou: Tsitsikamma National Park, South Africa was my first field trip. It was nice, heart harming and an exciting way to meet new friends.
  • Walk of Champions, Sarah Handel: This photo was taken at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. This is where the Australian Open takes place and it has been my dream ever since I began playing tennis to be able to go there. It was one of the most surreal moments for me, realizing that I was in fact in Australia, fulfilling a dream that I've had ever since I can remember and I was doing it completely independent. Being able to walk the same hallway that my favorite tennis players do before they go to a huge match was literally a dream come true.
  • Walmer School, Kailyn Anderson
  • Wat Arun, Bridgette Malchow: Sunset in Thailand. This picture was taken December 27, 2015 in Bangkok, Thailand, It was taken from a taxi boat on the Chao Phraya River that overlooked the temple Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn).
  • Just Surfing the Web, Jennifer Miska: Global Studies classes are intended to help create a better understanding of the world in which we inhabit, and though often times addressing the differing cultures is a predominant focus, addressing the creepy crawlies can sometimes be just as enlightening. We found spiders everywhere in Costa Rica: from our rain forest hikes, to our hotel rooms, to trees just like this one- and though often times in the US we veer left and right from these unwelcomed guests, Costa Ricans seemed unfazed by the prevalence of spiders such as these, truly exemplifying their relaxed and accepting "Pura Vida" lifestyle.
  • Within a Village, Madison Myrvik: This picture was taken within the village of Mykonos. The village takes up the whole island within the Aegean Sea. The village is known for houses having beautiful white exteriors, as seen in this hallway picture. When you explore within the village and get away from the other tourists, you find peaceful corridors and hallways where the residents live. The clean, simple lifestyle for these islanders is seen in this picture, which is why I choose it.
  • York, Rachel Knutson: The York field trip was amazing because we saw the amazing York Minster. It began its construction in 637 AD and construction on this building has continued. In order to take this shot, the photographer, Ryan Japs, had to sit on the ground and get the view from below. Not only was the Minster amazing, the town was full of character and age.