Global Eyes Photography
The Global Eyes Study Abroad Photography Competition is an opportunity for study abroad returnees to share their international experiences and insights with the greater campus community.
Photo submissions are entered into one of the following categories:
- City Life
- Culture Most Distinct from SMC
- Landscape
- Nature
- People and the Human Spirit
- The Essence of Study Abroad
- Best Written Caption
The photographs are chosen for their technical quality as well as the accompanying student written narratives. Category winners, Best Written Caption, and the Best of Show Award are announced at an awards ceremony in April, and the exhibit remains on display in the Durick library throughout the year.
25th Annual Photography Competition
CATEGORY AWARDS
(1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place, and honorable mention (HM) awards)
People and the Human Spirit
1. Olivia Miller-Johnson – Jesus Alatorre Avina
2. Liam Simard – Lives in Motion
3. Rebecca Wallace-West – Local Market
HM. Evelyn Mercier – Lunch Break
Landscape
1. Riley Treegoob – Where Time Stands Still
2. Amelia Tierney – Cádiz Cutout
3. Shannon O’Brien – An Old View
HM. Erin Boyd – Bridge Over Brown Water
Nature
1. Clara Wyatt – Diver in Yellow
2. Olivia Miller-Johnson – Dog Divided
3. Owen Burr – Seyðisfjörður
City Life
1. Liam Simard – Illumination
2. Alexa Roux – Neon Alley
3. Clara Wyatt – Urban Serenity
Culture Most Distinct from SMC
1. Erin Boyd – Morning Stroll
2. Ada Jones – Wonderfully Alive
3. Riley Treegoob – Silent Guardian
The Essence of Study Abroad
1. Norah Beckwith – Divine Inspiration
2. Isabella Joly – Visibility
3. Marisol Minich – The Old and the New
HM. Owen Burr – A Stroll Through Skálanes
Best Written Caption
Owen Burr – Dynjandi
Sean Hurley – Ignominy
Shannon O’Brien – Prayer
Shannon O’Brien – What We Can Do
The People’s Choice Award
Liam Simard – Illumination
The Kroger – Krikstone Best of Show Award
Liam Simard – Illumination
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☆ Category Winner ☆ This is the name of a young migrant who lost his life traveling across the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, his journey ending due to heat-related exposure. There is no border wall on most of the desert land, but the desert itself is a weapon Customs & Border Patrol (CBP) uses. The desert becomes a death sentence when CBP uses their Chase and Scatter Protocol which forces migrants to run in the foreboding landscape, with cacti, cliffs, and disorienting terrain, leading frequently to injury and death. Despite the vastness and emptiness of the desert, his humanity is restored by Tucson Samaritan, Alvaro Enciso. On the same list for Enciso’s weekly trip are unidentified people whose final day alive is unknown, only when they were found and where. Most of the migrants found deceased in the desert remain unidentified. This is all the more motivation for Enciso to give them this memorial, to do so for families who are afraid to search, to contact authorities, who will never know what happened to their relatives. |  |
"Lives in Motion" by Liam Simard This image was captured during one of my numerous photo walks around the city. For this day in particular, I explored London’s bustling Chinatown. I enjoy how, with every viewing of this image, my eyes tend to wander and observe the other subjects in frame. I almost feel as if I can get a glimpse into the lives of each individual, seeing them distinctly captured in the motion of their lives. |  |
"Local Market" by Rebecca Wallace-West I took this on a work trip to the local food markets outside of Seoul. The elderly lady is making handmade gimbap. On the trip, we helped bring tourists to locations in South Korea that are outside of Seoul. The countryside in South Korea is having problems sustaining their daily lives due to the younger generations moving to Seoul. |  |
"Lunch Break" by Evelyn Mercier Thirty-two families reside in the community of Santa Anita. Formed of former guerrillas who fought in the 36-year-long genocide in Guatemala and their kin, it is a place that does not resemble the violence that once existed there. Children play under the rushing waterfall, roosters fill the gravel path with their feathers, and mothers prepare masa to cook over the fire for dinner. Ice cream is a favorite snack for kids all around the world - and these two boys had different reactions to their served lunch. |  |
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☆ Category Winner ☆ In Hà Giang, Vietnam, a winding river moves quietly between towering green mountains, carrying the memory of centuries within its muddy gold waters. The cliffs rise steep and unwavering, shaped not by sudden force but by the slow patience of time. Layers of vegetation cling to the rock, thriving in places that seem almost impossible to reach. Above it all, clouds drift lazily, softening the vastness of the landscape. This is a place that does not demand attention, yet leaves a lasting imprint on anyone who stands still long enough to listen. |  |
"Cádiz Cutout" by Amelia Tierney This is a photo taken while looking out from a small window of the Torre Tavira, the largest tower in Cádiz. The vibrant rooftops look back at you, leading your eye all the way to the vast Atlantic Ocean. The above view resembles a colorful labyrinth as you look down at the city below. |  |
"An Old View" by Shannon O'Brien It was on the top of this castle in Dinefwr Park overlooking the sprawling Welsh countryside through the clouds of the incoming rain that seemed to always hang on the horizon that I realized people lived here. They fought here, and they came home to cook here. From this vantage point, you’d be able to see people traveling in all directions: incoming invaders, friends visiting neighboring houses, families coming home after a long day of work greeted by loved ones. We had been learning Welsh history all week as we visited many beautiful sites, but this was the first time I could picture it - the first time it became real. This place was built by humans, and they lived here. |  |
"Bridge Over Brown Water" by Erin Boyd This is a photo I took during a tour of Hà Giang, Vietnam. As we passed through this village, we drove over the bridge. Like the man in this image, people were standing along it. Many of them stood looking, not at the beautiful mountains surrounding them, but the water below. Under the bridge, women worked along the edge of the bank, harvesting vegetation used to weave fabric. It was clearly a central part of their community. |  |
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☆ Category Winner ☆ The woman in yellow stands on dark rock at a serene local-only snorkeling spot on Jeju Island. She is talking to her partner who is fishing and sitting farther out on other rocks. The sun is setting casting a warm light across the mist settling above the water. Her yellow coverup and pink bucket hat are her post swim attire as she makes her way closer to her partner. |  |
"Dog Divided" by Olivia Miller-Johnson A stray dog saunters along in the shadow of the US-Mexico border wall in Nogales, Arizona. Borders anywhere are colonial, but that ignores the creatures who have been here long before humans. Our natural world suffers when we put up walls. Only 9% of animal interactions with the US-Border wall resulted in successful crossings. Twenty-five species are at risk of losing critical habitat if the wall continues to be built. The wall doesn’t stop people from crossing, no matter how tall. But it does stop our wildlife. This dog shows how animals are trapped on either side. |  |
"Seyðisfjörður" by Owen Burr The fjords of Iceland are inextricably linked with both the country’s natural and societal identities. Beginning with the first settlement in 874 A.D., Icelanders have relied on the fjords for access to the sea, for both fishing and trade. They serve not only as highways for humans, but each fjord is also its own self-contained ecosystem, housing species present long before the touch of the human hand ever graced the landscape. Walking along the fjord is a serene experience; the salt of the water meets the fresh highland air to create a uniquely beautiful sensation, previously unknown to my skin, nose, and mouth. The towering glacial mountains serve as bulwarks, protecting human and animal alike from the most severe winds. In the morning, the sun rising over the horizon casts dancing shadows, reminiscent of legends told by Icelanders for generations. |  |
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☆ Category Winner ☆ I had just spent a cool February morning walking around Borough Market with some friends. We were off to the next unexplored neighborhood of London when I stopped and noticed this gentleman sitting under a bridge on the edge of the curb. He might have been reading, writing, or even just scrolling on his phone. To me, none of those things mattered. All I knew was that it looked significant. The environment around him created a tapestry of light and atmosphere. No one else walked the street he was on. The man sat there perfectly in the shaft of the warm morning sun. That moment in time was his. |  |
"Neon Alley" by Alexa Roux A vibrant alley tucked between bustling restaurants, neon-lit pubs, and late-night shops, this narrow Seoul corridor reveals a quieter kind of beauty, calm in the heart of a vibrant metropolis. What first appears ordinary becomes remarkable the moment you step off the main street. Warm light spills from doorways, colors reflect off tiled walls, and the hum of the city softens into something intimate. I feel grateful to have stumbled upon a remarkably lucky find. |  |
"Urban Serenity" by Clara Wyatt On a hot day in Seoul, a man basks in the sun atop one of Gangnam’s many high-rise buildings. An activity most often associated with the beach rather than cityscape took me by surprise. Taken during a work assignment, this image captures a seemingly private rooftop moment - quietly interrupted by the gaze from an even higher vantage point above. |  |
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☆ Category Winner ☆ This is a photo I took during a tour of Hà Giang, Vietnam – the home of many Hmong communities. It depicts a Hmong boy riding atop a water buffalo as they travel along a mountainous road. His joy was – and still is – contagious, bringing a smile to my face even now. |  |
"Wonderfully Alive" by Ada Jones In Copenhagen, cemeteries are not seen as a scary place but as a welcoming place for everyone to celebrate life. Cemeteries are intentionally “unkempt” as a way to increase the green spaces in urban areas and also to show the public where they’re free to recreate and where there is a burial site. This was something I had never seen before, but I think it is a good idea, as one can celebrate life while enjoying nature. |  |
"Silent Guardian" by Riley Treegoob Beneath the tangled roots of an ancient tree, a temple cat rests beside a stone figure worn smooth by time. Both appear to be watching, still and alert, as if sharing an unspoken duty. The cat’s warm presence contrasts with the statue’s cool permanence, yet they feel equally at home in this sacred space. Colorful temple architecture rises softly in the background, hinting at centuries of devotion and daily life unfolding around them. In this moment, the living and the carved exist side by side, united by patience, protection, and quiet reverence. |  |
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☆ Category Winner ☆ Walking through Monet’s Garden at Giverny felt like walking through a dream, frozen in time. The artist's house sat seemingly untouched, and while the gardens are meticulously curated and maintained, it's easy to imagine the artist walked through the same gardens, hundreds of years earlier. This photo shows a studio space, nestled within the gardens. I am not an artist, but just as the sun streamed through the aging windows, I was struck with an almost divine inspiration to create and appreciate the space around me while on study abroad and beyond. I am grateful to have been carrying my digital camera with me when this inspiration struck. |  |
"Visibility" by Isabella Joly Alvaro Enciso works with Tucson Samaritans to transform objects found in the desert into crosses used as tributes to those who lost their lives attempting to cross the U.S./Mexico border. We accompanied him and his team through the desert, catching only a glimpse of the perilous paths that migrants endure, until we arrived at locations where human remains had been recovered. At each site, Alvaro and his team planted a cross and invited us to gather nearby rocks to help support it. Although medical examiners work to identify the deceased, many of the crosses stand without names. Alvaro’s work inspires visibility for people whose stories are cut short. Each cross represents the presence of a human life, a person with dreams, and loved ones left behind. The experience brought a level of humanity to our trip and reminded us of the painful reality of the issues we learned about on our trip which focused on the experience of migrant journeys. |  |
"The Old and the New" by Marisol Minich My first week abroad was tumultuous. Like anybody else leaving home, I was worried about getting along with my host family, navigating a new country, and making friends in my program. My first Friday in the city, I met new friends at the foot of the Bastille for a Pride celebration. At one of the most iconic monuments of all time, under rainbow lights and disco ball beams, I felt my worries truly melt away. I belonged here. |  |
"A Stroll Through Skálanes" by Owen Burr In the East Fjords, fifteen kilometers east of the small town of Seyðisfjörður, lies the Skálanes Nature Preserve and Research Center. The preserve, the brainchild of Óli Pétursson and Rannveig Þórhallsdóttir, is dedicated to education, conservation, and the preservation of native Icelandic ecosystems and landscapes. In this scene, the 2025 Spring SIT cohort, Óli, and his black Lab sit and enjoy a simple Icelandic lunch in the shadow of the fjord. Óli and his family exemplify the spirit of naturalism, education, and the cross-cultural dialogue that can emanate from a short stroll through nature. |  |
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"Prayer" by Shannon O'Brien While strolling around this intricate and overwhelming cathedral of Saint Davids, I came across a small peaceful chapel hidden away from the grand nave of the church. Even in this comparably simple room, the care that went into this building is apparent. As I passed the window, the sight of a woman peacefully praying away from the masses of tourists made me stop. This is the human condition. We see so much terror cross our screens these days, but in every culture, in every generation, humans have found it within themselves to pray for good, to build holy sites where they might learn how to survive this life with a little love and joy in their hearts. It felt like a sacred moment as the sun lit up this stranger in her quiet reflection. I knew that I had to take the shot, not yet knowing how much it could still resonate with me almost a year later, a passing miracle in an overcrowded church, seemingly only witnessed by one. |  |
"Dynjandi" by Owen Burr The waterfall Dynjandi, “thunderous,” serves as both a symbol of pride and a testament to the resounding character of the people of the Westfjords. Its three hundred meters of cascading glacial melt, falling over strong, millennia-old volcanic basalt, represent the strength and resilience of a people who, for generations, have braved months of darkness and hard lives at sea. Fishermen in the Westfjords believe the waterfall has protective qualities; the roar of its water is said to be the voice of the land itself, guiding men safely through the fjords. |  |
"Ignominy" by Sean Hurley The sands of Las Ventas bake under the setting Spanish sun as the bull, third of the corrida, postures, head lowered, a lance lodged in its shoulder, its tail dusting a whitewashed post. A mosaic of white, green, pink, and blue extends upward behind the ring's outer walls. One man holds his crown; a woman shields her eyes. The matador advances. Silence falls, then is pierced by dying bellows as steel tears flesh. As the sand begins to change color, I lower my camera, a growing knot in my core as death is dragged away by a team of four horses. A ferocious roar envelops Las Ventas and makes its demand: Bring out the fourth. |  |
"What We Can Do" by Shannon O'Brien During the month of December in 2024, the historical country park, Craig y Nos, that lies within the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park of Wales, weathered a massive storm that had been worsened by climate change. This image taken 6 months later shows the continued effort to clear the large damaged area that consisted of non-native species of pine that had grown to fame due to the previous owner of the property, an opera singer, taking up a practice of walking among them to soothe her voice. There was a push from the local community to preserve the culture of the place and simply replant the trees due to historical significance. However, the team charged with managing the park isn’t taking the easy way out. They are trying to come to a solution that can satisfy the locals while also preserving the park. This was my favorite day of the whole trip. We walked throughout the park and identified what species could be planted to create a healthier forest, taking into consideration every aspect a plant needs to thrive. We were treated like colleagues, and our opinions were asked on the best course of action. It was only one day but it showed me the vast impacts humans can make on the land. It started with a lesson on destruction and loss, but ended with an understanding of what we can do with our power of restoration and where I might fit into the world of environmentalism. |  |
| Photographer | Study Abroad Destination | Photo Entry |
| Astrid Bakke | South Korea | Ladies Hiking |
| Norah Beckwith | France | Divine Inspiration |
| Norah Beckwith | France | Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité |
| Erin Boyd | Vietnam | Bridge Over Brown Water |
| Erin Boyd | Vietnam | End of the Loop |
| Erin Boyd | Vietnam | Morning Stroll |
| Rylee Burnham | Ireland | 3048 Kilometers to Newfoundland |
| Rylee Burnham | Ireland | Where’s Professor Constantino? |
| Owen Burr | Iceland | A Stroll Through Skálanes |
| Owen Burr | Iceland | Dynjandi |
| Owen Burr | Iceland | Seyðisfjörður |
| Maggie Dockray | Wales | If These Walls Could Talk |
| Julie Feliciano | Arizona/Mexico | From Cactus View |
| Julie Feliciano | Arizona/Mexico | Locked Out |
| Julie Feliciano | Arizona/Mexico | Night Sky |
| Julie Feliciano | Arizona/Mexico | Spiral Barbwire |
| Sean Hurley | Spain | Flamenco |
| Sean Hurley | Spain | Ignominy |
| Isabella Joly | Arizona/Mexico | Botanical Wonder |
| Isabella Joly | Arizona/Mexico | Casa de la Misericordia |
| Isabella Joly | Arizona/Mexico | Tohono O’odham Nation |
| Isabella Joly | Arizona/Mexico | Visibility |
| Ada Jones | Denmark | City Air |
| Ada Jones | Denmark | Dystopia |
| Ada Jones | Denmark | Wonderfully Alive |
| Emily Landry | New Zealand | Crossing the Bridge |
| Emily Landry | New Zealand | Green on Green on Green |
| Emily Landry | New Zealand | Ice Cream Cone |
| Emily Landry | New Zealand | Speights Good on Ya Mate |
| Ashley Meade | Greece | “Where Stone Meets Sea” – The Cliffs of Hydra Cascade into the Aegean |
| Evelyn Mercier | Arizona/Mexico | Lost Horse |
| Evelyn Mercier | Guatemala & Costa Rica | Lunch Break |
| Evelyn Mercier | Guatemala & Costa Rica | Palomas |
| Evelyn Mercier | Guatemala & Costa Rica | The Fishermen are Home |
| Olivia Miller-Johnson | Arizona/Mexico | Dog Divided |
| Olivia Miller-Johnson | Arizona/Mexico | Jesus Alatorre Avina |
| Olivia Miller-Johnson | Arizona/Mexico | Restoring Humanity |
| Olivia Miller-Johnson | Arizona/Mexico | Shouldering Weight |
| Marisol Minich | France | The Old and the New |
| Marisol Minich | France | The Universal Language |
| Laela Moran | Ireland | Giant’s Causeway |
| Laela Moran | Ireland | Sheep at the Cliffs of Moher |
| Jordan Munro | Ireland | Away from Civilization |
| Jordan Munro | Ireland | Little Friend |
| Jordan Munro | Ireland | Look Out |
| Jordan Munro | Ireland | Stained Glass Sanctuary |
| Shannon O’Brien | Wales | An Old View |
| Shannon O’Brien | Wales | Prayer |
| Shannon O’Brien | Wales | Small Moments of Looking |
| Shannon O’Brien | Wales | What We Can Do |
| Olivia Record | Irealnd | Adventures at Bunratty Castle |
| Olivia Record | Irealnd | Creatures of Ireland |
| Olivia Record | Irealnd | Roads of Ireland |
| Olivia Record | Irealnd | Tidal Pool Wonders (Sea Anemone) |
| Alexa Roux | South Korea | Korea’s Paradise |
| Alexa Roux | South Korea | Neon Alley |
| Alexa Roux | South Korea | The Guardian |
| Liam Simard | England | Illumination |
| Liam Simard | England | Lives in Motion |
| Liam Simard | England | Overlooking the White Cliffs |
| Liam Simard | England | Welcome to London |
| Emily Sullivan | Arizona/Mexico | Desconocido |
| Emily Sullivan | Arizona/Mexico | Houses on the Hill |
| Oliver Tesar | Vietnam | Everyday Đà Lạt |
| Oliver Tesar | Vietnam | Found Friends |
| Oliver Tesar | Vietnam | Nature and Urban, Huế |
| Oliver Tesar | Vietnam | Spirituality Amidst the Ho Chi Minh Chaos |
| Amelia Tierney | Spain | Cádiz Cutout |
| Amelia Tierney | Spain | Hillside |
| Amelia Tierney | Spain | La Alhambra |
| Amelia Tierney | Spain | The Blue City |
| Riley Treegoob | Vietnam | Eternal Support |
| Riley Treegoob | Vietnam | Silent Guardian |
| Riley Treegoob | Vietnam | Stillness Lives Here |
| Riley Treegoob | Vietnam | Where Time Stands Still |
| Cassandra Vanderhoof | France | Across the Seine at Night |
| Cassandra Vanderhoof | France | La Vie est Belle |
| Rebecca Wallace-West | South Korea | Bingsu |
| Rebecca Wallace-West | South Korea | City Guard |
| Rebecca Wallace-West | South Korea | Historic View |
| Rebecca Wallace-West | South Korea | Local Market |
| Clara Wyatt | South Korea | Diver in Yellow |
| Clara Wyatt | South Korea | Urban Serenity |
A number of dedicated individuals contribute in many ways to the overall success of the Global Eyes Photography Contest. In particular, we would like to extend our gratitude to the following Global Eyes supporters:
Judges of the 25th Annual Global Eyes Contest
Allison Cleary, Department of Digital Media and Communications
Jordan Douglas, Department of Arts and Design
Sebastiaan Gorissen, Department of Digital Media and Communications
Jon Hyde, Department of Digital Media and Communications
Candas Pinar, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Jerry Swope, Department of Digital Media and Communications
Kimberly Sultze, Department of Digital Media and Communications
Creative and Technical Support
Claire Concio, Office of Study Abroad
Hideko Furukawa, Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures (retired)
Antonia (Toni) Messuri, Office of Accessibility Services (retired)
Rosemary Yargici, Office of International Students and Scholar Services
Durick Library Support Staff
With special appreciation to the Durick Library for allowing Global Eyes photographs to be displayed in the beautiful Dailey Room throughout the year.
Sponsored by
The Office of Study Abroad
The Department of Digital Media and Communications
The Institute for Global Engagement