See the Winners of Our Annual Photo Contest

Every year, BYU students who participate in international study programs are invited to enter our annual photo contest. These photos should capture their experiences on BYU internship, study abroad, field school, or direct enrollment programs.

A panel of judges from across the Kennedy Center and elsewhere on campus evaluate the submissions' artistic and technical merit and how they demonstrate global understanding and awareness. Winners receive cash prizes of up to $1,000, and the winning photos are displayed in the main hallway of the Kennedy Center for the following year.

Nearly five hundred submissions were received for the 2022–2023 contest; the nine winners were announced in an awards ceremony in December 2023. Check out the top three below.

Best in show went to Anna Burton's “Eyes Closed,” taken on the Jerusalem Center program. She explains, “This photo was taken walking out of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the most famous churches in the world. This church was most likely the place where Christ was crucified and buried.”

Reagan Sweat's "Hikers Between France and Italy (Mont Blanc 2023)," taken on the Advertising International Award Shows study abroad program, was one of the runners up. She explains, "On our study abroad trip, we took a gondola up to the top of Mont Blanc in France. From our small carrier, you could see hikers along the crest of the mountain, completing an epic sixty mile backpack trip.”

The other runner up was Keely Weeks' "A Glimpse of Italy’s Heart and Soul," taken on the Europe Business study abroad program. She says, "In this man’s humble shop, Italy comes alive. From the pizza he makes to the laugh he gives, he is Italy. Italy is a land where hospitality is an art form, and for this man, every pizza is an expression of love. There is a glimmer in his eye. He truly loves what he does. There is so much power in his genuine passion, turning his livelihood into an experience of welcome and love for everyone who meets him."

Honorable mentions are Bryan Barba, Nathaniel Hatch, Avery Keller, Elizabeth Lui, Tatiana Rich, and Saby Ruiz. You can see their photos on our gallery wall in the Herald R. Clark Building on BYU campus.

You can also view all of this year's winners, as well as winners from previous years, on the photo contest website. If you're a BYU student going on an international study program in the 2023–2024 academic year, you can also use that link to learn about how to enter next year's contest.