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Recent John Jay Graduate Wins Photo Contest with Image from Study Abroad in Bali

Olivia Crosby, a recent John Jay graduate, won the International Student Voice Magazine (ISV) photography contest for best travel photo in the U.S. American Student category. Crosby took the winning photo this summer during the faculty-led study abroad program in Bali. The photo depicts a Balinese Purification Ceremony and was selected for its creativity, description, and quality.

“I entered the contest because I felt my picture expressed how Balinese got through their everyday lives. A picture can speak a thousand words, and in my opinion this photo showed more than a different culture, it showed unity, sacrifice as well as a ritual of a different culture,” said Crosby, a criminology major who graduated in May.

As part of the contest, the photo was also judged from the number of “likes” received in a two week period on the ISV Magazine Facebook page. The winning photographs will also be featured in the fall issue of ISV Magazine and the students will be guest bloggers for the ISV Magazine web site.

The study abroad course, “Cultural and Psychological Theories of Self in Society - A Case Study in Bali,” was taught by Professor of Psychology Chitra Raghavan. As part of her coursework, Crosby was able to visit different villages in Bali and learn the ways people there cope with everyday problems. She admired the Balinese “forgetfulness” which entails “letting things go in life that uncontrollable.” Her winning contest photo encapsulates the Balinese belief in cleansing their aura to improve their lives.

As an undergraduate, Crosby was one of the founders, and later president, of the Cheerleading Club which became an official sport in the College’s Athletics Program in 2013. She was a student assistant for Ronald E McNair Program and a member of Campus Activity Board. Crosby is currently an intern at the CUNY Research Foundation and a volunteer at the SNAP senior center in Queens, NY. She plans to pursue a career as a homicide police detective.

To learn more about John Jay’s study-abroad programs, contact the Office of International Studies and Programs at 212.484.1339 or visit their web site here.