Study Abroad Photo Contest 2026!
– Omar Awadallah
Chongqing, China
Japan: Tokyo Studio Architecture
The results are in! The Office of Education Abroad is thrilled to unveil the winners of the 2026 Study Abroad Photo Contest. We invite you to explore the array of incredible photos and visual stories we received this year!
– Joseph Dunatov
Yokohama, Japan
Tokyo Studio 2025
View the wonderful submissions via the above buttons or below links, and if you know any of the winning students, please extend a hearty “congratulations!” and join us in celebrating their achievement.
Each year, EA invites study abroad alumni to submit photos from study abroad programs they participated in throughout the previous calendar year. There are four competitive categories: Defining Moment, Landscape, Portrait, and Self-Portrait. There is also a fifth, non-competitive category, Traveling 49ers, which exhibits Niner Pride around the globe. This year, EA received over 90 captivating photographs from 26 talented students.
This contest wouldn’t be possible without our amazing judging panel. A huge thank you to Catie Brown, Susana Cisneros, and Luis Sanchez for their time scoring so many submissions. We also want to extend a special thanks to Sarah McCrea for serving as our final tie breaker judge! We truly appreciate you all carving out time from your busy schedules to support this special contest.
We welcome future study abroad alumni to participate in next year’s iteration, as there are gift card prizes for winning participants!
Congratulations again to all our 2026 photographers!
Defining Moment Category – Winners
- 1st Place: “A Quiet Realization” – By Daniel Ross
- 2nd Place: “Stillness of Lake Geneva” – Margaret Orta
- 3rd Place: “A Quaint Fishing Village” – Yoshiharu Ono
- Honorable Mention: Natalie Jones & Sofia Serba-Davis
Sitting in a silent room, everything still, enjoying the moment. As the mind clears, you come to understand the true weight of decisions. Leaving your comfort zone, taking the first step, every choice that you have made has led to this outcome. Only you are able to direct yourself into the future you wish to have. I could have never imagined myself traveling to a different country, led alone an entirely different continent. Traveling with friends to this location, I was able to take a step back and appreciate all the effort that has led to this moment.
Me and some friends went on a school hosted excursion this this location and enjoyed the local attractions and hotspots.”
Nagiso, Japan
Daniel Ross – Nagoya University of Foreign Studies
“Although this photo was not taken in the city of my study abroad program, it captures the moment when everything finally slowed down. During spring break, my friends and I traveled to the French countryside along Lake Geneva. As we wandered through a small, quiet town, I found myself pausing and thinking how unreal the landscape felt. It was my first time leaving the United States, and by this point I had already experienced so many beautiful places for the first time. But this moment was different, surrounded by stillness and scenery I only saw in pictures, it all started to sink in. This was the moment I fully realized where I was and took it all in.”
Meillerie, France.
Margaret Orta – Architecture Semester in Rome + Istanbul
“One of the last road trips with my friends was to the northern area of Kyoto. Getting this shot was by chance, after stumbling upon an isolated shrine and finding a vantage point.”
Ine, Japan
Yoshiharu Ono – UNC Charlotte Exchange: Doshisha University
Landscape Category – Winners
- 1st Place: “Rijō” By -Yoshiharu Ono
- 2nd Place: “Can’t believe it’s not AI” By – Brock Hollister
- 3rd Place: “Rainy Day In Ritsurin Garden” By – Tyler West
- Honorable Mention: Rebekah Ivy & Natalie Jones
“Rebuilt after the devastation of the atomic bomb, Hiroshima Castle once again stands proudly at the heart of the city.”
Hiroshima, Japan
Yoshiharu Ono – UNC Charlotte Exchange: Doshisha University
“The Skógafoss waterfall captured through a summer lens.”
Skógafoss, Iceland
Brock Hollister -UF in Iceland: Renewable Energy
“During the third week of our architecture program’s study abroad trip to Japan, we stopped in Takamatsu. After rain forced a change in our schedule, we decided to visit Ritsurin Garden. Walking through the gardens in the light drizzle created a quiet, atmospheric experience. The mist settling over the landscape made the scenery feel almost surreal, turning an unexpected change of plans into one of the most memorable moments of the trip. It became not only my favorite experience in Japan, but one of my favorite places I have ever visited, thanks to the calm and almost mystical atmosphere of the gardens.”
Takamatsu, Japan
Tyler West – Japan: Tokyo Studio Architecture
Portrait Category – Winners
- 1st Place: “Palace of Versailles” By – Margaret Orta
- 2nd Place: “Dusk” By – Yoshiharu Ono
- 3rd Place: “Geisha Evening” By – Emma Wical
- Honorable Mention: Omar Awadallah & Stacy Romana
“Taken outside my study abroad city during spring break, this photo captures a quiet moment inside the Palace of Versailles, where a woman pauses to study the sculptures in the grand entry hall.”
Versailles, France
Margaret Orta – Architecture Semester in Rome + Istanbul
“Gazing into the distance at Ogigahama Beach.”
Tanabe, Japan
Yoshiharu Ono – UNC Charlotte Exchange: Doshisha University
“Geisha are often a key association with Japanese culture, but many people don’t get the opportunity to see them, much less traditional-style geisha entertainment. At the end of my day trip to Hakone, I went to a geisha show with drinks and dancing. I even got to go on stage and play a traditional game with them.”
Hakone, Japan
Emma Wical – UNC Charlotte Exchange: Sophia University
Self-Portrait Category – Winners
- 1st Place: “Skippin’ rocks in the Skógá River” By – Brock Hollister
- 2nd Place: “Rialto Bridge” By – Margaret Orta
- 3rd Place: “Untitled” By – Erin Mayer
- Honorable Mention: Jessica Fletcher & Rebekah Ivy
“A photo of me in front of the Skógá River with Skógafoss in the background”
Skógafoss, Iceland
Brock Hollister – UF in Iceland: Renewable Energy
“This photo captures a moment of me on the Rialto Bridge in Venice, one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Taken on a cold, rainy day, this image was captured just as the rain had let up, allowing us to pause and take in the view. I was carefully making my way across the slippery stones while my friend captured the scene. Standing above the Grand Canal, I felt the excitement of one of the early highlights of my study abroad experience. Venice’s waterways, historic architecture, and absence of cars create a rhythm unlike any other, and this moment reflects both the thrill and unique character of the city.”
Venice, Italy
Margaret Orta – Architecture Semester in Rome + Istanbul
“This picture was taken on my trip to Paris, where a pigeon flew by at the perfect time to appear as if it was on my head.”
Paris, France
Erin Mayer – Paris, France: AIFS Grenoble
The photographs displayed on this page were submitted as part of the 2026 Photo Contest. We sincerely thank all participants for their contributions!