UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Global has announced the grand-prize winner of the annual Global Learning Photo Contest — Amina Abdullah, a fourth-year student at University Park majoring in English and women’s studies.
Penn State Global Learning convened this year to host a photo contest for all Penn State students who recently studied abroad, as well as international students attending the University.
Abdullah studied abroad at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, South Korea, during the summer of 2023. Her submission (pictured above) to the Cultural Engagement category was chosen as the winner of this year’s photo contest, out of 90+ submissions from students who studied abroad in more than 35 countries.
Regarding the circumstances that led to the photo, Abdullah said, “My roommate captured this photo. My program had taken us to Gyeongbokgung Palace, the main royal palace in the Joseon Dynasty. We had the opportunity to try on traditional Korean hanboks as we toured the palace grounds. I felt a deeper connection as I was wearing the hanboks, especially due to the amount of work it takes to put one on. Every piece was put on me delicately and with precision. The women working in the hanbok rental store also braided my hair and decorated it with flowers, overall making it one of the more intimate moments of my study abroad experience.”
For her victory, Abdullah received a GoPro camera, a Penn State Global-branded duffel bag, a scratch-off map, and an instant digital camera.