This year, CES/EUC hosted a Greece Photo Challenge which was open to all students in the Greece Study Abroad Program. Entry requirements were broad, and allowed students to focus on which part of Greece was most beautiful to them. This year’s winner was Dylan Tizon, who took the top three spots on this list with amazing photos of the city of Santorini, a shipwreck, and the winning image, the Blue Caves.
The Winning Photo: Blue Caves, Zakynthos, Greece
Photo Credit: Dylan Tizon
Honorable mention: Shipwreck Beach, Zakynthos, Greece
Photo Credit: Dylan Tizon
We spoke with Dylan about her time in Greece and how the program has influenced her.
“In August 2016, twenty-nine students from the University of Washington made our way to Athens, Greece, not knowing what to expect. Our first night began with an endless, mouthwatering dinner of traditional Greek dishes and finished at an outdoor movie theater in the shadow of the Acropolis. At that moment, we had no idea what the next three weeks had in store for us. All sharing the common passion for social justice, we were excited about having the opportunity to step outside of our comfort zones, interact with locals and hopefully make a difference. We explored issues surrounding the marginalized Roma community, got first-hand perspectives from Athenians on undocumented migrants and learned how immigration, travelers and tourism have impacted Greece. We went on island adventures, swam in the unfathomably blue water and consumed unholy amounts of Greek salad. It was a perfect combination of being a student, tourist and traveler. Not only did we visit the picturesque monuments and beaches that you see on postcards, but we were able to explore the raw and authentic reality that Greeks are faced with today. Pictures cannot capture the true beauty of this place; Greece is meant to be felt.”