See the 2015 #HogsAbroad Photo Contest Winners on Monday!

Get Ready! Winners of the 2015 Study Abroad Photo Contest will be announced and displayed during the International Bazaar on Monday, November 16 in the International Connections Lounge of the Arkansas Union. 

The Office of Study Abroad received 900 entries for the 2015 Photo Contest!  U of A students submited photos from 2014-2015 study abroad programs. Photographs were selected from several categories, including People, Places, Events, Miscellaneous, Study Abroad Selfie, #HogsAbroad.

This is part of (International Education Week) IEW 2015 from November 16-20, 2015. International Education Week takes place each November and is a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of State to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange. Events such as the International Bazaar and Study Abroad Photo Contest highlight international education opportunities at the University. See a full list of events for IEW at the University of Arkansas at iew.uark.edu.

Check out some of the winners from last year:

The Chief’s Wife

Jordan Smith

Organization for Tropical Studies, Summer 2014

Taken from my village home stay. This remarkable woman was the chief’s wife.

1st Place- People Category     

Peeling Cassava

Erin Wright

U of A Faculty-Led Program in Belize, Summer 2014

2nd Place- People Category

Easter Eggs

Andres MacLean

U of A Exchange, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spring 2014

One of the highlights of my study abroad experience was the trip I did with a couple of friends through Eastern Europe during our Easter Break. Our first stop was Vienna and what a wonderful city it was! On our second day there, we visited the Schönbrunn Palace and its beautiful gardens. To our surprise there was a pretty big Easter Market where you could enjoy live music, delicious Austrian cuisine and buy local products. I photographed these hand-made eggs that had beautiful designs- the lady that sold them was pretty interesting!

1st Place- Events Category

Journey to Guatemala

Katherine Dombek

U of A Faculty-Led, Urban Design in Mexico, Summer 2014

After two weeks of traveling through Mexico in the confined space of a van, we reached the Guatemalan boarder expecting some paperwork, travel fees, and a new van to take us on our way. Nope! Turns out the journey to Guatemala requires climbing into small boats and driving miles upstream, experiencing increasing contact with howler monkeys and other wildlife as we make our way into a beautiful and mysterious forest which is always thickening around us.

2nd Place- Events Category

Laurentian Library Selfie

Grant Gilliard

U of A Rome Center, Architecture, Spring 2014

Caught my reflection in Michelangelo's Laurentian Library in Florence, Italy

1st Place- Selfie Category   

#AbbeyRoadSelfie

Morgan Williams

U of A Faculty-Led, Theatre in Britain, Summer 2014

Selfie in front of an Abbey Road sign just after crossing the famous crosswalk from The Beatles' Abbey Road album art.

2nd Place- Selfie Category   

London Services

Austin Arkell

U of A Faculty-Led, Theatre in Britain, Summer 2014

Taxi Cabs in London wait patiently for customers.

1st Place- Miscellaneous Category 

Sheep on Skye

Morgan Large

Internship at Scotland’s Rural College, Summer 2014

This photo was taken on a farm on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. I assisted with a beef cattle workshop for local beef producers held at this farm.

2nd Place- Miscellaneous Category  

Belgium Waffles, fries, and Hogs

Monica Garner

U of A Exchange, Aarhus School of Business, Denmark, Spring 2014

Stumbled upon a hog mural in an alley-way of Brussels, Belgium. Had to take a break from the Belgian waffles, fries, and chocolate for a picture with the hogs. Woo Pig!

1st Place- #HogsAbroad  

U of A

Ayesha Erkin

UA Rome Center, Architecture, Spring 2014

This was taken at the Capua amphitheater while we were exploring underneath the amphitheater. Some students decided to show some Hog Spirit by forming "UA" by laying down on the grates. It was pretty hilarious!

2nd Place- #HogsAbroad  

Mother Lion with her cub after a big kill on the Serengeti

Cassandra Schirm

U of A Faculty-Led Program in Tanzania, Summer 2014

Before snapping this shot the mother lions had just brought back their kill, a Thompson Gazelle, to the pride. The females in the pride teach the kids how to hunt and bring back the food for the alpha male. This was an incredible sight! I took over 800 pictures of lions on the Serengeti, but this picture just spoke to me.

1st Place- Places Category

An Evening at Playa Tamarindo

Ashton Pohlman

ISA San Jose, Costa Rica, Summer 2014

The sunset at Playa Tamarindo my first weekend in Costa Rica was the most breath-taking of the trip. After a traditional Costa Rican dinner, we enjoyed gelato from a nearby vendor and watched the sun sink over the water.

2nd Place- Places Category 

#HogsAbroad Study Abroad Photo Contest 2014 Winners!

With over 200 entries from students who studied abroad in the 2013-2014 Academic Year, this year’s photo contest was one of the best we’ve seen in a while!  We received entries from Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The winning photos will be displayed in the library through January. Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who contributed all their great photos!

The Chief’s Wife

Jordan Smith

Organization for Tropical Studies, Summer 2014

Taken from my village home stay. This remarkable woman was the chief’s wife.

1st Place- People Category     

Peeling Cassava

Erin Wright

U of A Faculty-Led Program in Belize, Summer 2014

2nd Place- People Category

Easter Eggs

Andres MacLean

U of A Exchange, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spring 2014

One of the highlights of my study abroad experience was the trip I did with a couple of friends through Eastern Europe during our Easter Break. Our first stop was Vienna and what a wonderful city it was! On our second day there, we visited the Schönbrunn Palace and its beautiful gardens. To our surprise there was a pretty big Easter Market where you could enjoy live music, delicious Austrian cuisine and buy local products. I photographed these hand-made eggs that had beautiful designs- the lady that sold them was pretty interesting!

1st Place- Events Category

Journey to Guatemala

Katherine Dombek

U of A Faculty-Led, Urban Design in Mexico, Summer 2014

After two weeks of traveling through Mexico in the confined space of a van, we reached the Guatemalan boarder expecting some paperwork, travel fees, and a new van to take us on our way. Nope! Turns out the journey to Guatemala requires climbing into small boats and driving miles upstream, experiencing increasing contact with howler monkeys and other wildlife as we make our way into a beautiful and mysterious forest which is always thickening around us.

2nd Place- Events Category

Laurentian Library Selfie

Grant Gilliard

U of A Rome Center, Architecture, Spring 2014

Caught my reflection in Michelangelo's Laurentian Library in Florence, Italy

1st Place- Selfie Category   

#AbbeyRoadSelfie

Morgan Williams

U of A Faculty-Led, Theatre in Britain, Summer 2014

Selfie in front of an Abbey Road sign just after crossing the famous crosswalk from The Beatles' Abbey Road album art.

2nd Place- Selfie Category   

London Services

Austin Arkell

U of A Faculty-Led, Theatre in Britain, Summer 2014

Taxi Cabs in London wait patiently for customers.

1st Place- Miscellaneous Category 

Sheep on Skye

Morgan Large

Internship at Scotland’s Rural College, Summer 2014

This photo was taken on a farm on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. I assisted with a beef cattle workshop for local beef producers held at this farm.

2nd Place- Miscellaneous Category  

Belgium Waffles, fries, and Hogs

Monica Garner

U of A Exchange, Aarhus School of Business, Denmark, Spring 2014

Stumbled upon a hog mural in an alley-way of Brussels, Belgium. Had to take a break from the Belgian waffles, fries, and chocolate for a picture with the hogs. Woo Pig!

1st Place- #HogsAbroad  

U of A

Ayesha Erkin

UA Rome Center, Architecture, Spring 2014

This was taken at the Capua amphitheater while we were exploring underneath the amphitheater. Some students decided to show some Hog Spirit by forming "UA" by laying down on the grates. It was pretty hilarious!

2nd Place- #HogsAbroad  

Mother Lion with her cub after a big kill on the Serengeti

Cassandra Schirm

U of A Faculty-Led Program in Tanzania, Summer 2014

Before snapping this shot the mother lions had just brought back their kill, a Thompson Gazelle, to the pride. The females in the pride teach the kids how to hunt and bring back the food for the alpha male. This was an incredible sight! I took over 800 pictures of lions on the Serengeti, but this picture just spoke to me.

1st Place- Places Category

 

An Evening at Playa Tamarindo

Ashton Pohlman

ISA San Jose, Costa Rica, Summer 2014

The sunset at Playa Tamarindo my first weekend in Costa Rica was the most breath-taking of the trip. After a traditional Costa Rican dinner, we enjoyed gelato from a nearby vendor and watched the sun sink over the water.

2nd Place- Places Category 

Announcing the 2014 #HogsAbroad Photo Contest!

The Office of Study Abroad is now welcoming entries for the 2014 Photo Contest!  U of A students may submit photos from 2013-2014 study abroad programs. Photographs will be selected from several categories, so there are many opportunities to win! Grand Prize recipients will have their photos displayed during International Education Week (November 17-21, 2014). See the details below.

Submission Deadline: November 7, 2014

Available Categories: People, Places, Events, Miscellaneous, Study Abroad Selfie, #HogsAbroad

Notes and Restrictions:

• You must have ownership of the photo.
• By submitting a photo, you agree to allow the Office of Study abroad to use the photo for promotional materials, website images, etc.
• Each student may submit only ONE entry per category.
• You are only eligible to win once.

How to enter: Submit photos online at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/contest. Email questions to studyabr@uark.edu.

Meet One of our Spring 2013 Gilman Scholarship Recipients

What is your major? Why did you choose this major?

I’m a third year international business major concentrating in economics and minoring in anthropology and Spanish. As an incoming freshmen I had originally chosen to be an anthropology major, but really I knew I just wanted to travel for a living; I saw more job opportunities that could provide that type of career in the Walton College of Business, so I switched to international business before my first semester of classes. After understanding accounting, finance, marketing, and the other concentrations under business, I realized that economics – while challenging – is the most interesting. Economics allows me to blend numbers and business aspects with people, culture, and human decisions-making, which is what interests me most. Ultimately I would like to work for the US government outside the US, or at an international level in order to really understand people’s needs and be in a position to better them.

Where will you be going abroad, what will you be doing there and how will it impact your academics & life goals?

I will be traveling to Madrid, Spain and I will be doing a direct exchange to the Universidad de Carlos III en Madrid, so I’ll be continue my studies in business. This study abroad program will incredibly impact my life in ways that I am yet able to realize. Hopefully, I will be able to make connections for my professional career, but especially enhance my social skills. Also, I hope to get a better understanding of how and where I will pursue graduate school; I would love to study at an American school in Europe, and there happens to be in Madrid and I plan to make a visit to it.

What are some of the more unique/interesting details of your study abroad program?

Interestingly to me, we are allowed to make our own living arrangements; this will probably affect my entire experience. I will be rooming with two Spaniards, and experiencing to culture full on.  I am also most excited to finally be fully enthralled, in my full 5 senses, in places that I’ve only imagined about. I’m most excited about this because I’ve imagined these experiences since I was very young.

What does earning this scholarship mean to you?

As with any scholarship I earn, I feel very blessed and extremely honored to have received it. With the Gilman scholarship especially, though, I feel impeccably proud to have been chosen as a recipient. It means immensely to me because knowing that I have received a national scholarship to do what I love – study and travel – freshly reminds me that I do have remarkable opportunities to pursue my goals. I am reminded by the Gilman foundation that achieving my aspirations is possible, and I am reminded to never forget to give back to others on the way to reaching all those goals. While in Spain I hope partake in volunteer opportunities in addition to using my video blogs to inspire young students.

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About the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program (http://www.iie.org/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program) offers grants for U.S. citizen undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies abroad. Such international study is intended to better prepare U.S. students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world.
 

Meet One of our Spring 2013 Gilman Scholarship Recipients

What is your major?  Why did you choose this major?
I am a junior Supply Chain Management major. I choose this major because it offers the opportunity to work overseas and the business aspect interests me.

Where will you be going abroad, what will you be doing there and how will it impact your academics & life goals?
This spring as I study abroad, I get to live in Shanghai, China. It is the largest city in China, with an estimated 23 million people. During my studies, I get to take 9 hours of Chinese and learn business in the city that is China’s financial center.

What are some of the more unique/interesting details of your study abroad program?
Along with my studies, I also have the opportunity to participate in an internship. Besides the great learning opportunities, going to China will also be a great experience to learn about different cultures and expand my worldview. Business is rapidly changing because of globalization and studying abroad will help me to understand different ways of doing business.

What does earning this scholarship mean to you?
Earning the Gilman scholarship gave me this opportunity. Studying abroad is an amazing chance at learning new things but this is reflected in the price to go. Without the help of this additional funding, the trip would not financially be possible. I was shocked when I saw that I had been chosen for a National award. The application process was thorough but helped me reflect on the importance of this trip.
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About the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program (http://www.iie.org/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program) offers grants for U.S. citizen undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies abroad. Such international study is intended to better prepare U.S. students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world.

Meet One of our Spring 2013 Gilman Scholarship Recipients

What is your major?  Why did you choose this major?

I am a senior transfer student who switched from an English major to International Relations and Asian Studies combined major with English and Chinese minors. I originally picked an English major because I wanted to be an ESL instructor, but I changed to an International Relations major because of my passion for multicultural exchange and diverse learning environments.

Where will you be going abroad, what will you be doing there and how will it impact your academics & life goals?

I will be spending the spring semester in Asan, South Korea at Soonchunhyang University. Soonchunhyang is known for its exchange program that excels in Asian Studies courses. Classes like “Political Thought in Developing  Nations” and “Human Rights in  a Global World” are taught by instructors that have amazing experience in their fields. One of my instructors was the previous Korean ambassador to Pakistan.  These classes and others will give me the opportunity to study a wider range of IR issues with perspectives that are unique to East Asia. As a large part of my studies in Asian culture and politics, understanding language is very important. 

The University of Arkansas has excellent Chinese and Japanese language programs with many courses that also cover political and cultural aspects as well. However, Korean topics are largely absent from our instruction. This is a big reason why the U of A exchange with Soonchunhyang is so valuable. I was encouraged by many peers and faculty here at UA to seek out study abroad opportunities that would be able to provide broader academic growth than what any single domestic university could provide. The academic support structure here at the UofA, like these international university partnerships, is what really motivated me to choose this campus over any other Arkansas university. 

What are some of the more unique/interesting details of your study abroad program?

 The Soonchunhyang exchange program includes a really innovative cultural ambassadorship opportunity for its incoming exchange students.  The ambassadorship allows the students to spend a great amount of time with domestic students by participation in group activities that help everyone develop deeper relationships and learn about each other’s culture first-hand. The experience begins with the housing. Students share a 12 person suite composed of 1 international student and 11 domestic students. Being able to live in this immersive environment helps the international student to learn much more of the Korean language, social customs, etc. Also, this gives the Korean students the chance to study English with a native speaker in a very casual and productive way.

What is most exciting to you about going abroad?  

Getting the opportunity to study Korean language, East Asian politics, and minority issues from within Asia by professional diplomats and international business consultants is a priceless opportunity for sure, but I think I am most excited about the follow-up project I have planned to do right after my term at Soonchunhyang. 

At the end of the semester, I will travel to a remote town in mainland China where I will volunteer at a small and impoverished school for the children left behind by migrant workers. The rapid globalization of China’s economy has displaced workers and created migrations of labor to industrial centers, leaving many small towns with only the aged and the very young left remaining. WCOB Business student Lily Jin began a fundraising program here at the UA for the school last semester, and while I am there I will be able to interview the students and community members to see how the money my fellow students raised for them is affecting their situation. We hope to use these pictures, videos, etc. to raise even greater awareness of the struggle these children are facing and continue fundraising activities upon my return.  This rewarding project not only has features reflecting IR, Asian Studies, Chinese language, minority issues, and teaching across cultures, but also has the potential to create significant change in the lives of a faltering and underprivileged community.

What does earning this scholarship mean to you? 

 Receiving the Gilman scholarship really does mean everything to me. When I transferred to UARK, I had no intention of studying abroad at all because I mistakenly thought that I would never be able to afford it. After finding out about the Gilman scholarship and its generous awards, I finally saw the plausibility of going abroad. With growing student loans, rent, and all the other costs of being a college student, I honestly would not have been able to consider this extraordinary opportunity at all. 

Applying for the Gilman Scholarship was intimidating at first just because I was so worried about the possibility of not doing something correctly and missing this chance. After registering on the website and starting the process though, I really became much more relieved. The process is so streamlined and easy to use that I had no problems at all! There is a great outline of all the required information and documents provided at all times so you can visually follow your progress through the entire application. The hardest part was the statement of purpose essay. I was understandably nervous even to begin the essay because I knew that it would have the greatest bearing on if I actually got the scholarship or not. I started to search the internet for inspiration and advice, and found tons of great resources!  Gilman provides essay prompts, interviews with selection committee members, webcasts on strong essay writing points, and lists of common mistakes to avoid. On top of that, I found priceless assistance on our own campus as well. I took my essay to the Quality Writing Center multiple times for review and editing, I got great writing advice from the study abroad office, and I even found other students who had received the Gilman award in the past who could give me suggestions as well!

Knowing that out of thousands of applicants nationwide, I was chosen for the award is incredible! I really feel even further motivated to perform as well as I can in my abroad program because I will be representing not only my home country, but also the Gilman scholars!  After my return, I am very excited to share awareness of the Gilman program with my peers and encourage everyone to apply for this outstanding award. I really can’t express my gratitude for the generosity of the Gilman program and how it has given me a truly life-changing opportunity.

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About the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program (http://www.iie.org/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program)  offers grants for U.S. citizen undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies abroad. Such international study is intended to better prepare U.S. students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world.