1st Place: Raise your hand if you brush your teeth twice a day
My cross-cultural team and I were conducting a WASH education session at Bright Kids Primary School, the only school in our village. We asked, “Raise your hand if you brush your teeth twice a day,” and this boy shot up and gave us the biggest, sparkling smile to show us how well he brushes every day – Namunkanaga, Iganga District, Uganda – Julia Chodyla, B.A. ‘21
2nd Place: Small Girl, Big City Dreams
At the top of the highest building in South America, I saw a girl looking out at the Andes Mountains and down at the busy city of Santiago. I was reminded of the incredible potential every girl has and of the strenuous obstacles each one has to face within today’s machista society – Santiago, Chile – Kethelyn Claudia Papp, B.A. ‘20
3rd Place: Smoke Break
This photo was taken 12,000 feet above sea level in the Dongchuan Red Land near Kunming, Yunnan, China. I spent half a day on a bus traveling north of Kunming to see the Red Land. At about 12,000 feet above sea level, I encountered a local villager wearing traditional clothing taking a smoke break with his dog and sheep – Near Kunming, Yunnan, China – Steven Bernstein, B.A. ‘21
Honorable Mention: Peaceful Neighbor in the UNRefugee Camp
After spending most of my semester studying in Tel Aviv, I heard a lot about Palestine from the Israeli perspective. Many Israelis would argue that the Palestinian government didn’t want to make peace and that the Jewish people were entitled to the homeland that their ancestors lived upon. But after hearing so much of one side, I decided it was equally important to know the other side and therefore traveled into the West Bank to experience it for myself. One of the stops I made was at the UN Refugee Camp in Bethlehem where Palestinians were relocated after the establishment of the state of Israel. That is when I encountered Ahmed. He didn’t speak much English but knew the word “peace”. With the help of other neighbors to translate, we were able to speak a little more. He was born in the Refugee Camp and lived there his entire life. This conflict was all he had ever known. He noted that what the Palestinian people wanted most of all was peace and carried a very similar perspective to the Israeli one: that the Israeli government didn’t want to make peace and that the Palestinian people were entitled to the homeland that their ancestors lived upon. His perspective made me consider the similar narratives of Israelis and Palestinians rather than the division which often dominates their relationship – Bethlehem Palestine – Mikayla Brody, B.A. ‘19
Honorable Mention: Arthur’s Seat
This photo was taken from the top of Arthur’s Seat, a dormant volcano in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park in Scotland, United Kingdom – Edinburgh, Scotland – Fidan Baycora, B.A. ‘20
Honorable Mention: “Hugs from Mom: Free”
This photo was taken at Quito’s LGBTQ+ pride parade just weeks after same-sex marriage was legalized in Ecuador. The streets were buzzing with excitement and positivity as thousands of people came to celebrate. The translation of the sign reads, “Hugs from mom: Free.” – Quito, Ecuador – Kyle DiPietrantonio, B.A. ‘21
Corn
After walking through gardens of medicinal plants (such as cacao and pataste) we were led by Don Alberto to a small ring of stones. At the center, the stones were stacked to hold one larger, very smooth rock that was used as the base for crushing corn. For centuries the Bribri women have used this method of oscillating a large rock back and forth atop a layer of corn to prepare it for tortillas and other foods. At a very young age girls are given small stones to practice with alongside their mothers and grandmothers, slowly moving to larger stones as they become stronger and more comfortable with the motion. In more recent times, boys have also started learning the technique to help preserve the tradition – Salitré, Costa Rica – Meara Seery, B.A. ‘22
Boy with stickers
Over the 2018 Spring break, I went to Nepal with 32 other classmates, and it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. On this trip, I was lucky enough to go to Shiladevi School, located in Nagarkot, to teach the second and third graders English and maths. During the trip, I learned so many lessons. One lesson I learned is that nothing makes you feel better than seeing children playing and using everyday items such as pencils, markers, paper, bubbles, stamps, and stickers. We take these items for granted, but these students never take anything for granted. The kids are blowing bubbles with the bubble sets we bought them, and they are having a grand old time – Nagarkot, Nepal – Isabel Rauch, B.A. ‘23
Dictadura del amor
The cracked cement walls of this old house are a testament to the destructive earthquakes it has withstood while the bullet hole ridden doors and the pink graffiti remind those passing by of the brutal dictatorship which oppressed the country just a few decades ago – Santiago, Chile – Kethelyn Claudia Papp, B.A. ‘20
Community
Three kids at an organization in Moshi, Tanzania where kids and young adults who have been unable to attend school due to domestic abuse can take classes and be part of a community. On this day, the group of 11 American students met up with about 15 students from Moshi. We were able to talk about how our daily lives differ and what expectations we have for our futures. This day was really humbling and put into perspective how much privilege we have in the US. – Moshi, Tanzania – Maia Brunel-Hamel, B.A. ‘23
Cheeky Boy
All of these photos were taken in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. My capstone partners and I explored local markets and bustling streets as we spent time speaking with locals and taking in the beauty all around us – Manila, Philippines – Lindsay Stanek, M.A. ‘19
Summit of Mount Fuji
Sunrise at 4:30 am at the summit. Mt Fuji is considered to be the mystical, cultural fountainhead of the Yamato people, who are considered to be the progenitors of the Japanese people. The torii gate is a Shinto symbol that signifies entering the spirit world – Mount Fuji, Japan – Nico Han, B.A. ‘19
Bubbles
Over the 2018 Spring break, I went to Nepal with 32 other classmates, and it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. On this trip, I was lucky enough to go to Shiladevi School, located in Nagarkot, to teach the second and third graders English and maths. During the trip, I learned so many lessons. One lesson I learned is that nothing makes you feel better than seeing children playing and using everyday items such as pencils, markers, paper, bubbles, stamps, and stickers. We take these items for granted, but these students never take anything for granted. Four boys are fighting over a page of stickers to put on their faces or artwork or for keep sake. One boy completely covered his face with stickers – Nagarkot, Nepal – Isabel Rauch, B.A. ‘23
Get Lit
Walking around Osaka with my friend Laura led us to this restaurant – Osaka, Japan – McKenna Kestler, B.A. ‘20
Town Square
This was part of my group’s 2018-2019 capstone project where we traveled to Medellin, Columbia. We took a day trip to a series of lakes outside Medellin called Guatape where there was a colorful plaza in a nearby town square – El Penol, Colombia – Joseph Florino, M.A. ‘19
Views from My Window
My neighbors preparing food for celebration on their balcony as seen from my window. Their balcony was directly below my bedroom window and upon hearing the commotion of food being prepared below I snapped this photo. They were cooking to celebrate a Christian Orthodox holiday, common for the town; however, very much in contrast to the rest of Italy’s Catholic history. I lived in Acquaformosa, an Albanian commune in the mountains of Calabria. The rest of the celebration was held in our street with tables and chairs set up late enough to not expect any motor traffic – Acquaformosa, Italy – Erin Marsland, B.A. ‘22
Making Lavash
Every morning one of my neighbors that lived in my village wakes up to make traditional Armenian bread, lavash, for her entire family and surrounding neighbors – Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia – Meaghan Koudelka, M.A. ‘21
Motorcycles
Motorcycles, the king of transportation in India, line up like horses of the 21st century, waiting as on lookers enjoy the bazaar and celebration of sunset festivities across from the India Gate – New Delhi, India – Jesse Altum, M.A. ‘19
Street Vendor
This photo was taken while collecting surveys of informal businesses in Da Nang for my capstone project. We were looking at how smart cities impact small businesses, especially those who may be digitally disadvantaged – Da Nang, Vietnam – Adam Sachs, M.A. ‘19
Goldfish lanterns
Goldfish lanterns from Yanai, Yamaguchi on display at a Japanese Culture Festival in Tokyo. The festival featured food and objects from every region in Japan – Tokyo, Japan – Sarah Yee, M.A. ‘20
Boi de Mamão
My students got to interact a local festival held each year in the city, called Boi de Mamão. This character is inspired from the whales that migrate to feed in the South of Brazil each year in July/August. I was hired by American Councils for International Education as their Resident Director. During my time there, I organized excursions for students to have more contact with Indigenous and Afro-Brazilian culture. I also worked closely with local staff to ensure they had a smooth time fitting into their new adoptive country – Santa Catarina, Brazil – Zachary Hamlin, M.A. ‘20
Guarding the WWII memorial
The guards at the WWII memorial beside the Red Square. The picture reflects the religion, culture and history of Russia and the memory of the Soviet Union. Due to the legacy of the Cold War, there are strong misunderstandings toward the Soviet Union and contemporary Russia. My picture intends to attract people’s attention while appreciating the beauty of Russia – Moscow, Russia – Yiqiang Gong, B.A. ‘20
Koremu co-op’s cornfield
Photos were taken in Kibungo and Kigali, Rwanda. I used Revolog 600nm 35mm film. Film is intentionally red-scale. Cornfield in one of Koremu’s cooperatives. Working with Yak Fair Trade Ltd, an agribusiness that works to improve the quality of maize and beans, this Koremu co-op grows corn and beans – Birenga, Rwanda – Christina Hernandez, M.A. ‘20
Lone Piper
While standing against the backdrop of the Three Sisters of Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands, a lone piper plays a traditional Scottish song. The pride that the Scottish have for their cultural heritage can be summarized in this single photo of a piper standing against the iconic backdrop of the Three Sisters — mountain ridges near the historic town of Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands. Learning about Scotland’s history and culture made up a very significant part of my study abroad experience and taught me an incredible amount about nationalism and the cultural identifiers that a nation chooses to use to represent itself. For the Scottish, bagpipes, kilts and traditional folk songs are all truly emblematic of their national identity and the more that I studied and understood these and other cultural symbols for myself, the more I appreciated their meaning too – Glencoe, Scotland – Ashton Brown, B.A. ‘20
Catacombs
From the Paris Catacombs, both my worst nightmare and coolest adventure. I watched a horror film about the infamous catacombs before I visited and was terrified so I was very careful to take incredible photos to spare myself a second visit. I lived in Europe for two years in high school through the military and spent a lot of time traveling while we were stationed abroad. During my freshman year I was in a GW program in Paris so I was able to continue my growing interest in both travel and photography. In this photo, I was in a foreign place but photography was always a constant presence – Paris, France – Grace Turner, B.A. ‘22
Painter re-painting Casa Batlló
Gaudi’s work Casa Batlló was under construction in 2019 when we visited. Here is a painter painting the wall of this masterpiece at this historical moment – Barcelona, Spain – Adeline Chen, B.A. ‘20
Mazu
In spring each year, Taiwan erupts with colorful festivals honoring Mazu, a deity known as the goddess of the sea or the queen of heaven. The celebrations take place during the third month of the lunar calendar and peak on the 23rd day of that month, Mazu’s birthday. Each year, Chao-Tian Temple in Beigang Township in southern Taiwan draws a large number of pilgrims on Mazu’s birthday. This gathering is so popular that it has been designated as a national-level folk activity. In 2019 I joined the festivities to witness first hand Mazu’s birthday celebration at the Chao-Tian Began temple. I was amazed by the non-stop hours of fireworks, dancers dressed in traditional warrior uniforms and acts of bravery as designated volunteers allowed the crowd to throw fireworks at them. Within a few hours of attending, I was pulled in by a group of locals to help them carry a large wooden cart with a Mazu statue on it – as fireworks were thrown all around us! – Beigang Township, Taiwan – Greyson Shor, M.A. ‘19
Colonia de Sacramento
Colonia is the oldest town in Uruguay. This photo was taken outside of a small art display, of which the majority of the paintings were of women and the indigenous slave culture – Colonia de Sacramento, Uruguay – Carly Soll, B.A. ‘21
Making Calligraphy
In Japanese, “omotenashi” is the term for the culture of hospitality, a vital aspect of Japanese culture. There is no better word to describe the experience of the members of the George Washington University Kakehashi Project experienced while in Japan. In every part of our research trip—from visiting the JAXA Space Agency headquarters, learning about Japanese rocketry at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, to cooking and making calligraphy with a Japanese host family in Akiōta in Hiroshima Prefecture, we found ourselves in awe of how deeply “omotenashi” permeated throughout the attitudes and actions of our hosts – Tokyo, Japan – Luc Riesbeck, M.A. ‘20
Long Day
This cat cracks me up. I’m exploring general life and the Alhambra but this cat is just done with it – Granada, Spain – McKenna Kestler, B.A. ‘20
The icon of Singapore
This image highlights the scenic beauty of the city amidst the growing tensions around the country. It shows the calmness despite turmoil happening in cities around the world. Living in Singapore for five months has exposed me to a wide array of cultures, people and experiences. I have grown and developed in the field of international relations and legal administration and have pathed goals and dreams that I want to attain. Similar to how Singapore as a small, Southeast Asian country has developed in various aspects, I owe it to this country that has helped me develop, which will help me attain the visions I have set for myself – Marina Bay Sands, Singapore – Anushka Kapahi, M.A. ‘19
Kecak Fire Dance
This is called the Kecak fire dance, which happens during sunset and is held at the Uluwatu temple in Bali. As a traditional Balinese dance, the Kecak performance is performed solely by human voice and presents a segment of the Ramayana – Bali, Indonesia – Telesha Mahadeo, M.A. ‘19