2023 recipient selections
Students on international work terms in fall 2022, winter 2023 and spring 2023 shared their photos and stories of their their international experiences.
Award recipients of the "Where in the World?!" co-op photo contest
1st place: Ryan Tang, Hell's Valley, Germany
The story behind that photo is one of the most impressive things I've done. I bought the camera for €50 at a flea market and took the photo with my last exposure as we were reaching the top of the tallest mountain in Germany. It was a very significant moment with a lot of sentimental value. Three of us went: me, a mechanical engineering student from Waterloo, and another Canadian we met in Berlin. We had done a similar trip weeks prior, spending the night in a cave in Saxon Switzerland, so we were confident. The trip took two days and one night, and even though we were warned about a storm, we continued.
Day one wasn’t a problem. We reached the mountain hut early—a 30–40 person hut with three‑story bunks and helicopter‑delivered meals. We planned to leave at 3:00 AM like the other hikers, but I couldn’t sleep because of the storm. Hell’s Valley is known for unpredictable weather and freak lightning storms; someone had been struck and died a month earlier. That night’s storm was crazy, but at 2:30 AM it was gone.
In the last 200 meters after the glacier ascent, I fell. The rope caught me, but I knocked two other guys down. It was the scariest thing. The rest was rock climbing and pure adrenaline. Reaching the top after about 10 hours, including getting lost in the dark, was an achievement. In the photo, the valley looks daunting because storms pass through there, and you can see the storm fading as the sunrise came from the east.
Hear from Ryan about his international work experience in Germany.
2nd place: Aryaman Chaturani, Uttarakhand, India
Weaving practices can be traced back to ancient traditions in India which has permeated into contemporary culture, industry, and politics. The move to establish India's independence from Britain promoted the use of domestic products to establish self-sufficiency and self-rule.
Working at Avani Earthcraft in the Himalayan region broadened my perspective on the impact individuals can have on the community. Avani provides productive and fair employment to over 500 farmers and artisans which is especially important in remote villages due to a lack of economic growth. These artisans produce hand crafted naturally dyed textiles and plant-based pigments. Also choosing to combat prejudices through caste inequality, Avani provides shelter and employment to those facing the ramifications of antiquated and unfair beliefs.
Another current challenge facing communities in the Himalayan region is the recurrence of forest fires which are spread by pine needles that fall during dry summer months in the large surrounding pine forests. These fires destroy biodiversity in an already fragile Himalayan ecosystem and rut human lives at risk. Combating this through engineering biomass gasifiers allows for reducing carbon emissions, regenerates biodiversity, and creates avenues for human prosperity.
All finalist photo contest submissions
