Global Photo Contest

Submissions now closed

Check out our list of past winners below!

How the contest works

You can enter the contest by using our online submission form. After the submission deadline, our panel of judges will vote on finalists of each category. Images will also be posted to social media where users can vote on their favorites. Awards will be presented to the winners in each category.

Submission categories

Education Abroad categories

Let Me Take A Selfie:  Show off your selfies or solo pictures embodying your adventures abroad!
Live Like A Local:  Show us how you connected with the local culture, whether through homestays, roommates, or locals you met. Share fairs, festivals, celebrations, and everyday life from study abroad.
Nature’s Canvas:  Capture a photo of the stunning natural scenery and a glimpse into your surroundings.
Putting the Study in Study Abroad: Show us your experiences in the classroom, study tours, field trips, and academic fun!
Skyline Scenes: Show off the your everyday life with photos of beautiful buildings and architecture of the places you’ve been.

Disclaimer: The University of Rochester does not encourage dangerous activities that would put your health and safety at risk. Please refer to the Standards of Student Conduct.

International Student experiences

Campus & Connections: A moment captured on campus, highlighting the friendships, experiences, and personal connections that have shaped your US college journey.
Experiential Learning: A captured moment highlighting learning beyond the classroom, including internships, research, campus jobs, student organizations, community engagement, creative projects, or other experiences that have shaped you.
Home Culture:  A photo you took at home showing us the culture and country that you are proud of.
Rochester Community:  Places you’ve visited off-campus that have left a mark on your memory and experiences you’ve had in the Greater Rochester area.
US Sightseeing:  Wonders of the US (outside of Rochester) including unique landscapes, cityscapes, and monuments.

Disclaimer: The University of Rochester does not encourage dangerous activities that would put your health and safety at risk. Please refer to the Standards of Student Conduct.

2026 Education Abroad winners

Turquoise water, limestone cliffs, and zero responsibilities

First place winner: Jessie Wang, Biomedical Engineering major
Location: Phi Phi Islands, Thailand
Study abroad program: Chinese University of Hong Kong

Dashing through Sweden

Second place winner: Laura Klamut, Applied Mathematics and Financial Economics major
Location: Kiruna, Sweden
Study abroad program: DIS Stockholm

Apple in the Alps

Third place winner: Olivia Hawkes
Location: Mürren, Switzerland
Study abroad program: DIS Stockholm

Pellettiere Fiorentino

First place winner: Mallory Rubin, Clinical Translational Sciences major
Location: Florence, Italy
Study abroad program: Florence: Lisio Italian Studies

Czech Extraliga (EHL)

Second place winner: Jessica Flanagan, Brain and Cognitive Sciences major
Location: Prague, CZ
Study abroad program: CIEE Prague

Making Friends

Third place winner: Alannah McLean
Location: Paris, France
Study abroad program: French Sign Language

Staying Warm

First place winner: Laura Klamut, Applied Mathematics and Financial Economics major
Location: Kiruna, Sweden
Study abroad program: DIS Stockholm

Emerald Silence

Second place winner: Scott Xue, Environmental Health and Japanese major
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Study abroad program: Conversational Japanese in Tokyo

Edge of Quiet

Third place winner: Minnie Kang, Neuroscience major
Location: Bergen, Norway
Study abroad program: DIS Copenhagen

Big Ben? No, Big Bird.

First place winner: K.S. Jamison, Film Studies & PPE major
Location: Thames River, London, England
Study abroad program: Theatre in England

Balinese Hindu Purification Ceremonies

Second place winner: Paula Lopez, Biomedical Engineering major
Location: Bali, Indonesia
Study abroad program: University of Sydney

Bookish in Berlin

Third place winner: Viviane Kim, Piano, German, and Studio Art major
Location: Staatbibliothek Berlin
Study abroad program: German in Germany

God Eye’s View

First place winner: K.S. Jamison, Film Studies & PPE major
Location: Sky Garden, London, England
Study abroad program: Theatre in England

The Incredibly Vast City of Tokyo

Second place winner: Emma Maconaughey, English and Japanese major
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Study abroad program: Waseda University

Laundry Day

Third place winner: Mallory Rubin, Clinical Translational Sciences major
Location: Burano Island, Venice, Italy
Study abroad program: Florence: Lisio Italian Studies

2026 International Student winners

Fall, friends, and a little Halloween magic on campus

First place winner: Irem Zengin, Electrical Engineering graduate student
Location: Susan B. Anthony Hall, University of Rochester

Under the Snowing Stars

Second place winner: Jerry Mao, Computer Science major
Location: University of Rochester

My roommate and I ran downstairs as soon as the snow started sticking. It was the first time we’d seen it this thick, so we just stood there in the quiet. The swings behind us are our favorite in warmer days. It felt like a scene from Love Letter.