Photo Courtesy of Grace Terhune
Take a walk through the display while it is still up in Milne!
If any student that frequents Milne Library is in need of a brain break, take a stroll down toward the CIT HelpDesk to browse the photos on display from the study abroad photo contest! Students who studied abroad from the fall of 2025 to the summer of 2026 were eligible to submit photos that they took during their time abroad. The photos that were accepted debuted at Milne Library on Nov. 1.
There are five categories on display in which students submitted their photos. The first category is people; this category displays photographs of SUNY Geneseo students exploring their host countries, as well as images of the local residents. The second category is places; students submitted photos that captured a moment where they felt a sense of belonging. The photos displayed captured the beautiful landscape and architecture of students’ host countries. From a calming yet powerful waterfall submitted by Bobbi Griffith on her program abroad in Iceland, to ancient ruins captured by Cara Calicchia on their summer program abroad in Greece.
The third category is culture; for this section, students were to submit a photo that encapsulated a cultural moment. There was some variety in the photos presented from food dishes to public art to landscape photographs. The fourth category is called “photographers choice”; here, students are given the most creative control as to what photo they submitted. This category has displayed a number of different animals, including camels!
The fifth and final category is titled epiphany. In this category, the photographs display a moment in which the student started to see things differently. The category required students to submit a narrative explanation of the photo and why they chose it.
The photo display will remain in Milne Library until the end of this semester. On Tuesday, Nov. 17 from 3-4 p.m., the gallery’s opening celebration will take place. During this celebration, the winners of each category will be announced. Each photo will be judged based on “[h]ow well the photo fits the category description,” “[v]isual impact,” “[t]echnical excellence of the photo,” and “[c]reativity and originality of the photo.” The epiphany category will also be judged based on the narrative explanation the photographer submitted.
One student whose photos are currently on display, Kaleighanne Athens, shared their insight on selecting which photos to submit. She explained, “I have so many photos and great memories from my study abroad that I want to share that it is hard to choose just one.” Kaleighanne studied abroad in Greece this past summer through INTD-119, “Greek Food, Cultures, and Traditions,” taught by Dr. David Levy, a professor of philosophy here at SUNY Geneseo.
When asked why they wanted to submit their photos, Kaleighanne shared, “I remember[ed] seeing the reception for the photo contest last year in the library…and when I got the email to submit I knew I wanted a chance to share my photos with other people.” While in the library, Kaleighanne was excited to see that the photo display was finally up. “I really enjoyed seeing photos other [students] took…seeing all the other places people got to visit because of study abroad was so interesting.” It is a great opportunity to get a glimpse into what life would be like on a study abroad trip.
If seeing the photos on display made you curious about studying abroad, make sure to check out the study abroad website to learn about the different programs and how to get started!