2018 Imagining the World Awards Announced

Written by Karen L. Bystrom

May 3, 2019

In the College of Arts and Sciences, our passion for understanding the global community influences all we do. We encourage our students, faculty, and staff to actively engage with diverse cultures around the world through faculty-led programs abroad, language studies, partnerships around the globe, service learning, International Studies, student and faculty exchanges, internships, and Xavier Global House. Arts and Sciences has led the university in its effort to develop an international focus.

The annual Imagining the World: Study Abroad and International Photography Competition highlights our college's participation in the global community. Through this contest, students, faculty, and staff capture more than a moment in their experience—they share with us a very personal window into a world. Current Seattle U students who have participated in a study abroad program while attending SU, or are currently international students attending SU, as well as faculty and staff, submit photos that address the theme: "Imagining the World."

The judges for the 11^th annual competition were Terry Divyak, owner of Shutter Tours, photographer; Greg Gilbert, Seattle Times photographer; Jane Perovich, Senior Photo Editor at Getty Images; Sarah Hoffman, photojournalist and producer, KCTS/Crosscut; and Jeffrey Phillips, photographer and owner of All About Images in Mt. Dora, Florida.

The recipients of the 2018 competition were announced at a public reception on April 30.

Recipients of the 2018 Imagining the World Awards

Study Abroad

First Place

Hillary Sturgeon

Senior
International Studies
Program: Comillas University Exchange
Photo Title: Fiesta de la Trashumancia
Location: Madrid, Spain

I have always used photography as a way to share my own personal experiences of beauty, joy, discomfort, passion, and growth around the world. I hope that through my images I can share a visceral experience of what it is like to stand in the middle of the city center as thousands of sheep are herded by right in front of you, or how it feels to be utterly surrounded by nationalist pride during a time of extreme national division, or the experience of coming upon a shockingly beautiful sunset while wandering a new city alone. I am thankful for a study abroad experience that fostered so much personal growth through the exploration of numerous areas of diverse cultures, histories, and traditions all over the world.

Second Place

Emily LaRoche

Senior
Environmental Studies and Photography
Program: Arcadia University
Photo Title: Chess in the Bath
Location: Széchenyi Thermal Bath, Budapest

When in Scotland one thing I found was the ease and closeness to all of the different countries and different cultures so close by. In my selected photos, I have some of the different locations that this opportunity abled me to go. I feel privileged to have had an experience like this!

People playing chess in swimming pool

Third Place

Annie Jamison

Junior
International Studies and French
Program: French in France
Photo Title: Caught in a Swiss Parade
Location: Geneva, Switzerland

Moving to Grenoble, a small city at the base of the French Alps was a huge change of perspective for me. I lived with my host parents and their two cats in a fifth floor apartment on the outskirts of town. During my time there, I experienced the joys of skiing and snowshoeing in the mountains, the thrill of traveling with unforgettable friends, and the politics of European university strikes. The program concluded with a road trip around Morocco that can only be described as a synthesis of the senses. Northern Africa gave me an education on culture, color, tradition, and humanity like no class I have ever taken. I will definitely be going back.

Female figure surrounded by confetti

International Students

First Place

Raghad Ashoor

Home: Saudi Arabia
Senior
Civil Engineering
Photo Title: Seattle Freeze
Location: Downtown, Seattle, WA

Although I've been living in Seattle for several years, I continue to be struck by the natural beauty and the human struggle all around me. I hope these images convey some of the pain and the triumph of the people here.

Second Place

Yibo Sheng

Home: China
Junior
Computer Science
Photo Title: Aurora
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska

Each trip was an unexpected adventure to me. I was fortunate to record some of those memories with images. I was always surprised by those breathtaking sceneries and fascinating culture during the journey of exploring the world. I am fortunate I can share some of those interesting experiences and stories with others through these images.

Third Place

Crystal (Sujung) Choi

Home: Korea
Graduate Student
PMBA Albers School of Business
Photo Title: Blue, green and piece of my mind
Location: Utah

True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future.

Faculty

Marc Cohen

Department: Management / Philosophy
Program: China Study Tour Group
Photo Title: Shenzhen Port (Yantian)
Location: Shenzhen, China

Many aspects of China are difficult to imagine: the Beijing alleys are often chaotic; rows of shipping containers supply the world economy with consumer goods; Shenzhen is a city four times the size of Seattle built in less than 40 years.