Exhibit creativity, innovation, and interaction in the pursuit of intellectual interests by engaging in class activities, international research, and/or internships.
In this photo, students are studying geology in the field at Fountain Hill Beach, Ireland. Students are using rock hammers and Bronston compasses to identify the rock, its composition, and its orientation to determine the rock's unique history.
Honorable Mentions
Katherine Kirwan 2025 Spring Santiago, Chile
Kate Kirwan poses in front of one of Chile's first arpilleras in the Violeta Parra museum. Arpillera, literally translating to burlap, is a storied cultural practice in Chile--particularly among Pinochet's dictatorship as a form of political resistance. As a part of her semester abroad, Kate interviewed women that still create them today, as well as researched museum exhibits to understand their symbolic and cultural role in Chile today.
Marlette Reyes-Serenil 2025 Brazil Summer: Race & Immigration Studies
As part of exploring Brazilian culture in our program, we didn't just read about Carnival, we lived it. Dressing in authentic costumes and learning traditional dances from local instructors in Cidade di Samba gave us an immersive understanding of the holiday's historical significance and its role in fostering social cohesion.
Culture & International Friendships
Illustrate an introductory understanding of your host country in relation to its history, values, politics, or beliefs and practices, and/or showcase interactions with the local community and relationships with locals and host families.
Winner
Greta Kolbeck 2025 Uganda Summer: Religion & Development
During our time in Uganda, we spent a day at the Ewaffe Cultural Village where we learned about and participated in traditions of the Buganda culture. Next to cooking the foods matoke and luwombo, fishing, and learning about the traditional uses of many plants, we were greeted by young girls dancing the Kiganda dances. They motivated us to join them so that we gradually all did so and had amazing and joyous time dancing all together.
Honorable Mentions
Mary Rice 2025 Spring Santiago, Chile
We were taken to a Pomaire, a small town known for its traditional Chilean pottery, on a Notre Dame sponsored excursion. We visited a local pottery shop, where we learned how each item was made, from the clay extraction from the ground to different techniques used to how each piece is fired.
Juliana Workman 2025 Rome Summer: Film, Television, and Theater
This photo was taken at the site of St. Paul’s prison, where a few friends and I followed this religious sister after having a conversation with her in Italian. Even though she seemed to have been here before, her sense of wonder and curiosity were inexhaustible, inspiring us to seek and explore more intentionally throughout the rest of our pilgrimage in Rome.
ND Irish Abroad
Show off your ND pride abroad in your host country by featuring Notre Dame in some way.
Winner
Grace Leeson 2024 Fall Puebla, Mexico
ND Students Katy, Grace, and Meghan smile for a picture after climbing to the top of La Malinche- a 14,636 foot tall volcano in Puebla, Mexico.
Honorable Mentions
Nicholas Bifone 2024 Fall Copenhagen, Denmark
Pictured here are me and my friend Molly, also a Notre Dame senior, as we stand on a black sand beach in the village of Tjørnuvík on Streymoy in the Faroe Islands, a territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. We are holding volcanic ash derived from the ancient volcanic activity of the islands. Behind us, you can see the sea stacks Risin and Kellingin, tied deeply to Scandinavian folklore.
Quinn Gallagher 2025 Spring London, England
A photo of me living out my dream of skiing in the Swiss Alps. My friend Rachael took this photo of me because of the view and the Notre Dame jacket I had. This photo was taken at the Jungfrau Ski resort in Grindelwald, Switzerland. We had a wonderful blue bird day and thoroughly enjoyed the trip. It was a dream come true.
Scenes from Abroad
Photographer’s choice - showcase your creative photography skills (use of light, photo angle, etc.) with photos of your host country. Inspire curiosity and open-mindedness.
Winner
Kyle Smith 2025 Nepal Summer: Sustainability & Energy Systems
Located on the north side of the Kathmandu Valley, the Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park is a serene natural reserve known for its rich biodiversity and scenic landscapes. Deep in the woods, we found a foggy creek equipped with colorful Buddhist prayer flags. All around us, Nepali locals burned incense, prayed, and enjoyed the peace.
Honorable Mention
Adrian Ayala 2025 Singapore Summer: Real Estate & Net Zero Development
This is a mural from Singapore's historic Chinatown titled "Letter Writer," painted by Yip Yew Chong in 2018. The mural depicts how Chinese migrants would commonly write letters to stay in contact with families back home. We thought the angle demonstrated our immersion (I'm on the right and my friend Chidera is on the left) in the historic districts history.
Honorable Mention
Elissa McDermott 2024 Fall Dublin (DCU), Ireland
Taken at the summit of the Croagh Patrick Pilgrammage hike in County Mayo. After hiking with my ND class on this pilgrimage, the sheep at the summit emerged from the fog and were extremely friendly to us.
