Exhibit - Padnos International Center Photo Contest (PIC Pics)

A photograph of a GVSU student holding a Global GVSU flag next to the shore.

Reese Reira, Grand Valley at Giant's Causeway, photograph, 2024, 2025.7.11

Every year, hundreds of GVSU students travel around the world on a Study Abroad program through the Padnos International Center (PIC). For the PIC Pics Photo Contest, GVSU students and alumni were invited to share photos from their adventures abroad. Photographs are submitted for a variety of categories, including: "Most Memorable Day," "Lakers Abroad," "The Great Outdoors," "Celebration, Tradition, & Culture," "My Classroom Abroad," and "Street Art & Favorite Neighborhoods."

The GVSU community is then invited to VOTE on their favorite images in person at the Padnos International Center (PIC) offices at 130 Lake Ontario Hall. Each year, three winners receive the popular vote from any of the categories. These winners and several honorable mentions are added to the GVSU Art Museums' Art Collection.

2024 PIC Pics

Popular Vote Winners

1) Noah Roberts, Celebration, Tradition & Culture, Japan

2) Allison Schoen, My Classroom Abroad, Tanzania

3) Meliha Kulic, Most Memorable Day, Turkey

Explore all 2024 PIC Pics

Photograph of hot air balloons floating over a landscape

Meliha Kulic, Most Memorable Day: Turkey, photograph, 2023-24, 2025.7.3.

Photograph of a lion laying on a tree branch above the ground, with a vehicle parked next to the tree

Alison Schoen, Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, photograph, 2024, 2025.7.2.

Honorable Mentions

Most Memorable Day

Connor Morale, Iceland
Avery Walta, Morocco

Lakers Abroad

Reese Reira, Northern Ireland

The Great Outdoors

Avery Walta, MoroccoCharlotte Yeiter, New ZealandJosie Kasmauskis, ChileAlexia Sisty, Bahamas

Photograph of a Japanese temple on a forest hillside

Noah Roberts, Celebration, Tradition, & Culture: Japan, photograph, 2022-23, 2025.7.1

Photograph of a heavily forested landscape overlooking water

Alexi Sisty, At The Cliff's Edge, photograph, 2024, 2025.7.18

Celebration, Tradition, & Culture

Morgan Rose, South Korea
Katie Rauhut, Japan
Justin McKnight, Vietnam

My Classroom Abroad

Charlotte Yeiter, Great Barrier Reef
Jennifer Jones, Iceland

Street Art & Favorite Neighborhoods

Sander Breneman, Italy
Katie Rauhut, Japan
Meliha Kulic, Morocco

Photograph of a couple on a yellow scooter driving on a street

Sander Breneman, Street Art & Neighborhoods: Italy, photograph, 2024, 2025.7.5

2020 PIC Pics

Popular Vote Winners

1) Kristina Katilius, Getting Lost, Ireland

2) Kristina Katilius, Celebration and Tradition, Italy

3) Lauren LaSage, Celebration and Tradition, Japan

Explore all 2020 PIC Pics

Colored photograph of brightly colored buildings lining a river. Boats docked and in the water.

Kristina Katilius, Le Meraviglie Di Venezia, photograph, 2019, 2020.34.2.

Photograph of ruins in Ireland against a bright blue sky and water.

Kristina Katilius, The Shore of Ireland, photograph, 2019, 2020.34.1.

Honorable Mentions

My Classroom Abroad
Lilyann Plummer, Peru
Natalie Thomas, England

Celebration & Tradition
Elle Bowman, India
Alexandra Weaver, Peru

Getting Lost
Emily Morrell, Ireland
Sarah Michienzi, Iceland
Natalie Thomas, England
Ashlyn Rowell, Ecuador

Colored photograph of red lights or lanterns in a mirrored space. Few people visible among the lights near the center of the image.

Lauren LaSage, Be the Light, photograph, 2019, 2020.34.3.

Colored photograph of the inside of a mutli-story library. Tables at the lower level, stacks of books visible on the upper floors.

Natalie Thomas, Books on Books on Books, photograph, 2019, 2020.34.16.

The Great Outdoors
Leanna Kragenbrink, Norway
Lauren LaSage, Vietnam
Ashlyn Rowell, Ecuador

Lakers Abroad
Taylor Beckering, Spain
Alexandra Weaver, Peru

People
Meghan Couture, Vietnam
Elle Bowman, Myanmar

Colored photograph of man painted white, giving a "peace sign" sitting on the very tip of the bow of a long boat or canoe. Foggy city and other boats behind him,

Elle Bowman, Sunrise on the Ganges, photograph, 2019, 2020.34.8.

Colored photograph of a woman wearing a mask and a young toddler on a small boat or canoe. Buildings floating in the water behind them

Meghan Couture, Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia, photograph, 2019, 2020.34.14.

2018 PIC Pics

Popular Vote Winners

1) Kylie Klunder, Getting Lost, Ghana

2) Anna Skrip, My Classroom Abroad, Thailand

3) Ashley Spagnuolo, People, Ghana

Explore all 2018 PIC Pics

Photographic image of a laughing girl with an elephant's trunk wrapped around her.

Anna Skrip, My Classroom Abroad- Thailand, digital photograph, 2017, 2018.23.2.

Colored photograph of a shadowy scene from the trees of people enjoying a waterfall and a swinging rope.

Kylie Klunder, Getting Lost- Ghana, digital photograph, 2017, 2018.23.9.

Honorable Mentions

My Classroom Abroad
Kyla Bolden, Ghana

Celebration & Tradition
Shelly Greendyk, Jordan
Libby Jawish, Ghana

Getting Lost
Spencer Miller, Chile
Anna VanderBoon, Haiti
Liam Purtle, Morocco

Photograph of a lit up building under a dark starry sky.

Roy Rogers, The Great Outdoors- Chile, digital photograph, 2017, 2018.23.15.

Photograph of a man in a white shirt sitting in orange colored sand looking at the sun.

Liam Putrle, Getting Lost- Morocco, digital photograph, 2017, 2018.23.10.

The Great Outdoors
Roy Rogers, Chile
Ashley Spagnuolo, Ghana
Kristen Childs, Slovenia
Hannah Finegan, Germany

Lakers Abroad
Liam Purtle, Morocco
Lindsey Hassett, Lakers Abroad
Valerie Wojciechowski, France

People
Madelyn Johnson, Tanzania
Amber Modena, Morocco

Panoramic photograph of a wintery town scene.

Hannah Finegan, The Great Outdoors- Germany, digital photograph, 2017, 2018.23.6.

Page last modified May 20, 2026

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