UNH’s Center for International Education recently announced the results of their spring photo contest, an event held each semester to showcase the experiences of students who have spent semesters abroad.
The most recent contest drew approximately 600 votes from the UNH community for submissions in three different categories.
Matt Gargano, a junior marketing major, won in both the “People” and “Cultural Immersion Experience” categories, with two photographs he took during a week long stay in Lesotho, a tiny country entirely surrounded by South Africa.
Gargano, who spent his fall semester at South Africa’s University of Cape Town, said he took upwards of 250 photos during his trip through Africa, and chose his two submissions based on their unique feel.
“It was eight hours a day on horseback, and we would arrive at these huts, I felt like Don Quixote,” said Gargano. “Little kids would come out of the woodwork to greet us and we’d sleep on the floor of these huts.”
Natalie Green, a recent UNH graduate, won the contest’s “Places” category. Green spent her senior spring semester studying business and art in Florence, Italy. Her photo “Winding Hills” was taken on a weekend trip to Italy’s Amalfi Coast.
Green, who finished an art minor while abroad, says she took thousands of pictures during her semester in Florence, but “Winding Hills” drew the admiration of several friends and professors, prompting her to submit it to the contest.
Wen Houle, of the Center for International Education, said that it is this opportunity to share students’ experiences that makes the CIE photo contest so important.
“It definitely gives our students a chance to showcase some of the places that they’ve been to and shows some of our programs,” said Houle.
Winning photos from past contests are currently on display on the second floor of the Dimond Library.
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