Photo of Scotland’s Snowy Mountains Wins Contest

Office of Global Education Director Mei-Chi Piletz, MC student Justin Kelly of Greenville and Global Education staff member Jenny Price

Justin Kelly fortunately had a camera on the bus when he snapped an award-winning photo of Scotland’s snowy mountains.

The 23-year-old Mississippi College student was taking classes in the university’s London Semester, and his tour bus crawled through Scotland for a two-day trip when he jumped out to capture the beautiful winter scenery.

“It was pretty cold that day, so I jumped out of the bus and quickly got back in,” says Kelly, who recently won an iPad for his panoramic photograph from the Study Mississippi organization.

It’s a statewide consortium of 16 educational institutions, both public and private, including Mississippi College, Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi, Millsaps College, William Carey University and the University of Southern Mississippi.

Mei-Chi Piletz, the director of MC’s Office of Global Education, presented Kelly with his iPad Friday.

“We’re very proud of what Justin did and our London program,” says Piletz, whose office is a consortium member.

Besides London, MC study abroad groups also send students to Spain, China and Korea.

A Mississippi College business major and a sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve, Kelly shot the photo near Edinburgh, Scotland during his spring 2010 semester visit to the United Kingdom to study British literature and other subjects.

The Greenville resident also penned a short essay about his experience studying abroad.

“It was the first time I had lived in another country,” Kelly said at the Office of Global Education on the Clinton campus. “It was an eye-opening experience. It’s a completely different culture.”

The Study Mississippi consortium was launched in 2011. It seeks to connect international students and professionals with quality Mississippi education and training. The group also helps Mississippi build its reputation as a supportive host to educational institutions and business opportunities. The organization is supported by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Mississippi Development Authority and U.S. Export Assistance Center.