Every spring, the Storytelling Contest recognizes outstanding student photo submissions from each of three categories: Living, Learning and Loving the Location. Last year, CGPS introduced an additional essay component to commemorate the 100th anniversary of study abroad. This addition, modeled off of the International Student Essay Contest, offers another channel for students to share their stories. Together, the photo and essay portions celebrate the impact these programs have on the student experience and intercultural engagement. 

This year, senior Owen Bubczyk was awarded first place in the Loving the Location category for his photo submission, “Wedderburn Rainbow.”

An honors kinesiology major, Bubczyk spent this past winter session exploring New Zealand on a four-week study abroad program led by faculty directors Todd Royer and Nancy Getchell. Throughout the month, Bubczyk and his classmates engaged in experiential learning throughout Dunedin, Queenstown, Wellington and Raglan. While each site offered the scenic landscapes that New Zealand is best known for, Bubczyk was captivated by the views of Dunedin that were the backdrop to their first week of classes. 

During a two-day biking excursion in Wedderburn, Bubczyk noticed “a double rainbow sprawling from the mountains” and captured the view for his own memories. Later, it became the perfect submission for the Storytelling Contest.

While Loving the Location focuses on capturing the essence and energy of the study abroad locations, the Living category of the competition is intended to honor the people, creatures and places that become part of students’ lives while abroad. 

Eleanor Helm, a third-year honors student, was awarded third place in this category for her photo submission, “View from the Terrace.” 

Last fall, Helm participated in a semester-long program with the Department of Languages, Literature and Culture, where she developed her Spanish language skills and uncovered the art, history and culture of Granada, Spain. While Helm’s days were spent venturing into the city to explore the Alhambra and the beaches of Almunecar, at night she returned to her host family and the neighborhood she learned to call home. 

Helm’s prize-winning submission captures the view from her host family’s terrace, where she said she spent warm evenings looking out over the city and the Alhambra on the hill. While Helm’s photo captures just one of many beautiful sights from her time abroad, it is also a tribute to the people and place that shaped her experience. 

In Helm’s submissions to the UD Abroad Blog, she described the role her host family played in her language development. 

“Luckily, I have plenty of chances to practice with my host family,” Helm wrote. “The opportunity to speak with them and learn from them is one of the experiences I’m most thankful for … Not to mention the fact that their house is absolutely gorgeous and has incredible views of the Alhambra, the Moorish castle that overlooks the city.” 

Winning submissions from the Learning category focus on the academic side of study abroad, sharing photos from an international classroom, faculty-led excursions and experiential learning opportunities. 

On an excursion to the Randilen Wildlife Management Area in Tanzania, sophomore Grace Ferry snapped a photo of her classmates watching patiently for elephants, giraffes and gazelles. Her submission, titled “Learning to Use Our Binoculars,” was awarded first place in this category.

Other photo contest winners included Julia Komorowski, Ricky Kiamilev, Brooke Latone, Sean O’Malley, Paige Leishman and Stephanie Sullivan. In addition, three student writers — Jack Mullarkey, Kristina Smyth and Claire Reader — were honored in this year’s essay competition.

Mullarkey, a sophomore honors student, won first place for his essay, “Identity Transcends Borders.” In this piece, he reflected on a meaningful interaction he had while studying abroad in Granada, Spain this past winter. 

“For one of the first times during my experience in Spain, I had felt like I had made a personal connection with someone from the country, and it had nothing to do with being American or Spanish,” Mullarkey wrote. 

With winning submissions from 11 different study abroad programs, this year’s competition celebrated student experiences in Dubai, India, Italy, Latvia, Spain, Tanzania, the British Virgin Islands and New Zealand. 

All winning photos and essays will be on display at International Coffee Hour at Trabant University Center on Friday, May 10, for the entire UD community to admire. They are also posted on the Storytelling Contest web page.

About the Center for Global Programs and Services

The Center for Global Programs and Services (CGPS) at the University of Delaware is home to the operations of UD Global, which includes Study Abroad, International Student and Scholar Services, World Scholars Program and Global Outreach and Partnerships. The Center provides leadership and collaborative innovation in support of all of the University's global initiatives and campus internationalization efforts, with its Global 360 Strategy serving as a roadmap for infusing international perspectives throughout the University’s scholarship, research, and service missions. Focused on a student-centered approach, CGPS provides expert advising and a wealth of global engagement opportunities to the UD campus community, including the weekly International Coffee Hour in the fall and spring semesters.

Follow and engage with @UDGlobal on Instagram and X for the latest updates on everything global happening at UD. Read the UD Abroad Blog and talk to a Study Abroad Ambassador to learn firsthand about the experiences of Blue Hens abroad!