Seeing Mexico and Brazil Through Students’ Eyes

During the 2026 Summer Internship Program, students in Mexico and Brazil were invited to explore that question through the SIP Photo Competition. More than simply documenting their travels, participants were asked to pair each photograph with a reflection on how the image represented their experience in the country. 

The result was a collection of photographs that captured both extraordinary moments and the details of everyday life. Students turned their lenses toward bustling streets, historic cities, family homes, natural landscapes, local traditions, and quiet moments of observation. Together, their images reveal the many layers through which they experienced Mexico and Brazil. 

For some, photography became a way to explore the relationship between the past and the present. Students reflected on the coexistence of history and modernization, the complexities of preserving cultural heritage, and the ways communities continue to negotiate with the past while imagining the future.  

Others found meaning in the everyday experiences that shaped their summers. One student reflected on how living with a host family transformed their understanding of Brazil, discovering that doing laundry, caring for cats, and sharing daily routines could offer a deeper connection to a culture than simply experiencing it as a visitor. Another reflected on the streets and architecture of São Paulo's Minhocão, a space shaped by both past urban decisions and contemporary efforts to transform it into a shared public space.  

The photographs also invited students to ask larger questions. In Seeking Security, SIP Mexico student Adelina Escamilla-Salomon placed two different forms of shelter in conversation, reflecting on what security means and for whom protection is available. In Gracias a La Madre Patria, she explored questions surrounding womanhood, nationalism, tradition, and the often unseen labor that sustains cultural and religious symbols.  

Throughout the competition, students demonstrated that photography can be more than a way of preserving a memory. It can also be a way of looking more closely, asking questions, and reflecting on the places and communities we encounter. From the colors of Salvador and the forests of Cuetzalan to the streets of Mexico City and São Paulo, each image offered a personal perspective on what it meant to spend a summer learning and living in Latin America.  

Congratulations to the winners and honorable mentions of the 2026 SIP Photo Competition: 

• Candid 
  Winner: Juan Pedraza Arellano, SIP Brazil — Um Momento à Beira-Mar 
  Honorable Mention: Victoria Delgado Rengel, SIP Brazil — Reflections 
• Free 
  Winner: Juan Pedraza Arellano, SIP Brazil — Marchando down the Minhocão 
• Graphic 
  Winner: Adelina Escamilla-Salomon, SIP Mexico — Seeking Security 
  Winner: Adrian Ramirez, SIP Mexico — Meso Symmetry 
  Honorable Mention: Juan Pedraza Arellano, SIP Brazil — Salvador: Land of Color 
• Stylized 
  Winner: Nirja Trivedi, SIP Brazil — Mica 
  Honorable Mention: Adelina Escamilla-Salomon, SIP Mexico — Gracias a La Madre Patria 

Congratulations as well to all the students who participated. Their photographs offer a visual record of SIP 2026—not only of the places they visited, but of the questions, relationships, and moments of discovery that shaped their experiences along the way.