Education Abroad Photo Contest
The annual U of I Education Abroad Photo Contest aims to give returnees a way to visually share their powerful international experiences with the Vandal community.
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Natasha Burton - Marrakesh, Morocco - 2020 Vandals' Choice Grand Prize Winner, Epic Selfie Category Winner
Natasha Burton - Marrakesh, Morocco - 2020 Vandals' Choice Grand Prize Winner, Epic Selfie Category Winner
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Zach Asher - Category Winner- New Zealand - My group of friends wanted to help me show off my Vandal Pride at Uni in New Zealand. This was taken in front of the Lincoln University Library also known as Ivy Hall.
Brandon Higgins - Almalfi Coast, Italy - Vandals around the world!
Stephanie Linares-Vega - Uruguay - In a city with many tourists, a vandal stands out with the colors of the brave and the bold.
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Simon Halsell- Category Winner-Lüneburg Christmas Market. Being able to participate in the market was one of my favorite memories of Germany; it's a wonderful cultural thing, and a great way to experience a lot of unique German food and music!
Zach Asher- Im going on an Adventure! Leaving the shire and reflecting back on words of a wise old Wizard "Home is now behind you. The world is ahead." . The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit films are very important to the people of New Zealand (Kiwis) because they really help put New Zealand on the map, especially places like Hobbiton.
Nicolas Schofield- In Germany, the Green Party, or die Grünen, is one of the most popular. So naturally the German people came out in the thousands when Fridays for the Future began across Germany and the world. This photo was taken during the first protest in Lüneburg, where teachers encouraged their students to participate. Our host organization told us to avoid foreign protests, but I bent the rules for this one.
Stephanie Linares Vega - Out of the many cows, sheep, and goats in Uruguay, this lamb was the easiest to carry.
Brandon Higgins - Munich, Germany - Participating in Germany's greatest tradition, Oktoberfest!
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Simon Halsell - Category Winner- Ringebu Stavkirke (Stave Church), Ringebu, Norway. A friend from Oslo took me there, and told me it was built in the 1200s. There are only about twelve Stave Churches left anywhere in the world.
Beau Melton- With this photo, I captured the ominous barbed wire fence, brick buildings, and cobblestone pathways of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp; more specifically the work camp portion of the complex. While studying in Krakow, Poland I was able to learn about the deep, rich, and oftentimes heart-rending history of the country through my history of the Holocaust class. What I learned the most from the class, as cliche as it sounds, is that history cannot be forgotten. The Auschwitz Concentration Camp is a landmark that captures the dark history of Poland and one that exemplifies the heart-wrenching change in history forever. The photo has both a light and dark side, split by the fencing down the middle. I view the light side as society's ability to recognize and overcome the sins and flaws of society in the past, which is represented by the dark side of the image. The fencing down the middle is structured so that it is holding in the dark side from reaching the light which I view as the commitment to ensure that such atrocities never be repeated. The fencing is emblematic of the words inscribed on the memorial at Dachau Concentration Camp in Munich, Germany which states, "Never Again."
Fatima Partida - Tower Bridge, London, UK
Nicholas Schofield- I took this photo in Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria. The city features a medieval wall, phenomenal architecture, and breathtaking views. Not pictured are the German Christmas Markets filled with bratwurst, glühwein (hot spiced wine), and sweets.
Monica Higbee- This picture is of the Maxxi Museum in Rome, Italy! An architectural masterpiece!
Brandon Higgins - Barcelona, Spain - Antoni Gaudi's masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia has been under construction for over 150 years!
Zach Asher - This beautiful little church is the most famous building and church in the whole country of New Zealand and you can tell why. Every time I visited Lake Tekapo I had to visit again.
Stephanie Linares-Vega- Uruguay- Best trip hands down.
Rylie Malm - Australia- One of the most iconic buildings in the world located in Sydney, New South Wales. I visited while on study break from University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Pictured from left to right are the large buildings of downtown, the botanical gardens, the Opera House at the center and the Sydney Harbor Bridge.
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Natasha Burton- Category Winner- This epic selfie was taken in Marrakesh, Morocco while taking a camelback ride to the Atlas Mountains. These mountains are famous for their Berber empire, where I was lucky enough to indulge in food and a walking tour through this little village.
Simon Halsell - This is a selfie I took at the Brandenburg Gate on Tag der Deutschen Einheit (German Unity Day; 3 October), featuring the random man over my shoulder. I didn't notice him until I was looking through my pictures several weeks later.
Brandon Higgins - Rome, Italy - Architect Richard Meier's church located on the outskirts of Rome. Truly one of a kind!!
Stephanie Linares-Vega - Never did I imagine to ever be this close to the falls of Iguazu. 10/10 recommend this beautiful place.
Nicholas Schofield- I worked in Berlin for two months, visited it multiple times in the Fall, and came to love the city and its culture. The photo captures us in front of Berlin's iconic Fernsehturm; a symbol of East Germany and the city's former division.