Stunning Photos Depict Cultural Identity and Diversity
The Photo Club at County College of Morris (CCM) is proud to announce the winners of its seventh annual photography contest for New Jersey high school students. The competition’s sponsor, Millburn Camera ASAP Photo, awarded gift certificates to the top three winners.
Winning first place with a $300 gift certificate was Liam Devees, who did not report what high school he is attending. Jack Cudia and Julia Trevorrow of Roxbury High School won second and third place, earning them $150 and $75 gift certificates respectively.
Receiving Honorable Mentions this year were Avianna Miler from Whippany Park High School, Kaitlin Kleiner from Hunterdon Central High School, Naomi Boyd from Chatham High School, Suxin Liang from Morris Catholic High School, and Samantha Osborne, Tanya Amballa, Michell Rivas, and Simao Silvestre from Bridgewater-Raritan High School.
Amballa also won the Popularity Award for her photo which received the most likes on the competition’s Facebook page.
The contest was open to all New Jersey high school students. This year’s theme, “Roots,” invited students to explore the meaning of cultural identification. More than 500 submissions from dozens of high schools around the state explored the concept that people can no longer be labeled as one thing or another. Photographers submitted photos that showed the beauty and complexity of their cultural identity.
The winners were announced at an exhibition and reception held at the CCM Art and Gallery earlier this month. Fifty-one photographs were selected for display, representing Roxbury High School, Whippany Park High School, Hunterdon Central Regional High School, Chatham High School, Morris Catholic High School, Morris Knolls High School and Bridgewater-Raritan High School. Photo Club members judged the work and selected the winners.
“Members of the CCM Photo Club were delighted with the quality of submitted images,” said Hrvoje Slovenc, assistant professor of photography, who oversees the contest. “Selecting the finalists and ultimately the winners was a difficult, but rewarding, task.”
Photos: CCM Photo Contest First Place photo by Liam Deeves, high school unknown; Second Place photo by Jack Cudia of Roxbury High School and Third Place photo by Julia Trevorrow of Roxbury High School. Popularity Award photo by Tonya Amballa of Bridgewater-Raritan High School.
