"No puedes romperme"
Photography by Laura Ulman
Madrid, Spain

Meli, an Iranian woman, cuts her hair to protest the killing of Mahsa Amini in Madrid

"Moments in Motion"
Photography by Athena Polymenis
Prague, Czech Republic

The Crucifix and Calvary is a striking statue compared to the others on the Charles Bridge as it feels less clustered and is comparatively more freestanding in the sense that the figures are rather isolated and separated. During my moments of being on standby to capture this image, I looked a little further into the importance of this statue and I learned that the gold plated Hebrew words were actually mildly offensive. You see, the words were added in 1696 when a local Jewish leader was accused of blasphemy and as punishment was forced to raise funds for this symbolic humiliation and degradation of Prague Jews. It was only slightly remedied in 2000 when an American Rabi sent a direct request to the mayor to acknowledge the possibly offensive text and placement with a tablet that was placed on the side of the statue. I found this as an interesting tid-bit of information because today in our class we began preparing for tomorrow’s day trip to Terezín, a nazi transport camp also known as the Theresienstadt Ghetto. My mind likes to draw parallels on topics that hit similar notes, and I found the popularity of this statue interesting considering its antisemitic roots. Group after group would come and pose for a selfie, or take a quick shot of the statue as they passed by, but hey- all I can say is “the more you know.

"Smoke Break"
Photography by Kendyl Loper
London, United Kingdom

Two chefs take a break on the streets of downtown London

"You're It"
Photography by Laura Ulman
Istanbul, Turkey

Children play "it" using a chicken in the streets of the historically Jewish district of Istanbul, Balat.

"Reflection"
Photography by Brynn Palmer
Cape Town, South Africa

This photo is an off guard of my friend Max. I caught him taking a moment to himself to take in the beautiful scenery around us, so I snapped a picture of him. When I showed it to him later he expressed his gratitude for my capturing of the moment. He said he was thinking about how surreal it was to be in Africa, and how nice it was to see stereotypes about the continent being broken down.

"Smoke Break"
Photography by Peyton Sims
Prague, Czech Republic

They didn't notice me – but even if they did – they wouldn’t mind.
Outside of our apartment window, my roommates and I watched this couple across from our building since the first day we hauled our luggage into our empty room in Prague. If anything, these two have been a form of entertainment for me and my three roommates.

Okay, let me clarify – we don’t necessarily go to the window, eager to find them outside. They just seem to always be across from us. And I mean always.
Sometimes, the woman is alone on her smoke break, while other times, her partner is embracing her from behind, occasionally stealing a puff from her cigarette. There’s been times that we’ve seen them at least four times in one day – their smoke break is their daily routine. In fact, tobacco is the leading cause of death in illness in Europe – but that doesn’t seem to turn locals away. To many Europeans, finishing a pack of cigarettes in a day has become a part of their culture.
On a brighter note, I bought some pastel-colored tulips for our window seal, which I felt perfectly framed the couple on the other side of the glass when I decided to document this moment, curious to know more about them. Whenever I had my camera out to capture some photos of them, I can’t help but fear that I’ll see one of them look up and make eye contact with me – let’s just say I was crouched a bit behind our curtains for these photos in attempt to not blow my cover. After all, we were in Prague until the end of the June, so I planned to try and stay on good terms with all of our neighbors. Especially because their routine has, in a way, became a part of our own daily routine.

"A Synonym for Beauty"
Photography by Kendyl Loper
Florence, Italy

My class had just climbed to the top of the Florence Cathedral. It was 368 steps to the top. My friend, Alexa was taking in the view.

"Casa Azul"
Photography by Alexandria Garza
Mexico City, Mexico

Visiting the house of Frida Kahlo.

Breakdancers
Photographed by Simon Tolman
Spring 2020 - Porto, Portugal

What did you learn about yourself while studying abroad?

"Studying abroad taught me how to create my own happiness. Without the pressures of society, school, and the fast-paced nature of America, I felt freed to really figure out what makes me happy. I learned to take deeper breaths and appreciate what's in front of me, whether it be a scenic view, a bite of a pastry, a bustling street, or a friend's face. This notion of mindfulness and living-in-the-moment is something I'd been working on before I went abroad, but the complete and utter newness that comes with living in an unfamiliar country allowed me to take a deeper dive into it and learn more about myself and the world in the process."

Woman Walking on a Sunny Afternoon in Te Aro Valley
Photographed by Naomi Brady
Fall 2019 - New Zealand

What did you learn about yourself while studying abroad?

"I learned how to be independent, how to adapt to different learning, social, and academic situations. How to make friends with lots of people of other cultures. I learned how to be more environmentally-conscious and appreciate nature, and I learned a lot about photography/videography."

Barcelona's Hallways
Photographed by Isabelle Kaufmann
Spring 2020 - Barcelona, Spain

What did you learn about yourself while studying abroad?

"While yes, a big part of the study abroad experience is about learning and immersing into a different culture, a lot of it is about being on your own and leaning out of your comfort zone. There were a lot of unexpected events to happen over the course of this semester, especially ending with a global emergency in the epicenter of the pandemic. I learned where I may have before been too dependent in certain parts of my life, or too comfortable even. But I felt like I learned to grow out of these over the semester. There's always more room for these kinds of changes, but I feel more ready than ever to keep moving and exploring and letting things be out of my control for the better."

Porto from Above
Photographed by Simon Tolman
Spring 2020 - Porto, Portugal

What did you learn about yourself while studying abroad?

"Studying abroad taught me how to create my own happiness. Without the pressures of society, school, and the fast-paced nature of America, I felt freed to really figure out what makes me happy. I learned to take deeper breaths and appreciate what's in front of me, whether it be a scenic view, a bite of a pastry, a bustling street, or a friend's face. This notion of mindfulness and living-in-the-moment is something I'd been working on before I went abroad, but the complete and utter newness that comes with living in an unfamiliar country allowed me to take a deeper dive into it and learn more about myself and the world in the process."

Luck of the Irish
Photographed by Ayden Schwartz
Spring 2020 - Dublin, Ireland

What did you learn about yourself while studying abroad?

"I learned a lot about myself during my study abroad experience. The biggest thing I learned is that the things that are the least comfortable are often the most rewarding. I went abroad knowing nobody and was super nervous about making friends. However, I wound up making the best friend I have ever had and someone I know will be there for me for the rest of my life. I was also able to see things and have experiences that are truly once in a lifetime. Most of all, I learned how to adapt and roll with the punches. With the coronavirus, our study abroad experience was not what we had pictured, but we were able to make the most of it!"

Neon Fog
Photographed by Stephany Sunny
Fall 2019 - Osaka, Japan

What did you learn about yourself while studying abroad?

"I learned that there was still room for me to grow as a communicator. As a communications student, I expected to have it down, but working with a language barrier helps develop your cross-cultural communication. This was something you really can’t learn inside of a classroom, and studying abroad helped me improve at this skill."

Photographed by Mary Schmidt
2019 Maymester, Prague, Czech Republic, Documentary Photography Program

"This photo was taken during a demonstration in the Czech Republic. Protesters from all over the country came to Prague to demand the resignation of their Prime Minister Andrej Babis. Seeing hundreds of thousands of people come together peacefully for a cause was the most inspiring moment of the entire trip. I moved through the crowd witnessing people of all ages use their voices in a language I could not understand, yet I could still feel their sense of urgency and desire. The man pictured in this photo was one strong figure out of the many thousands that attended."

Photographed by Jesse Hu Jenkinson
Spring 2019, New Zealand

"My most memorable experience was scattering my grandfather's ashes at Akaroa harbour near Christchurch, New Zealand. I learned more about my family and my parents' childhoods. As far as what I learned about myself I'd say I learned how to exist on my own outside of my family of groups."

Photographed by Nadia Elchmaissani
Summer 2019, Maymester, Community Life: Documented Program

"I shot 11 rolls of film in 5 weeks so I was very focused on my street photography and being inspired by the vibrance and pulse of the European streets I traveled to. This particular woman caught my eye as she was walking her dog in a beautiful park in Berlin. I greeted her in German and then took her portrait. My most memorable experience in general was producing a documentary during the week and then by the weekends I would be in another country like Belgium. It was surreal."

Photographed by Ruoshui Bao
Spring 2019, Cambodia

"I was traveling in Cambodia during spring break. And while I was visiting Angkor Wat, I was touched and inspired by the strong Buddhism atmosphere in Cambodia so I took this picture to document an indispensable part of their local culture."