"Support and Education"
Location: Bagan, Myanmar
Date: September 2017
Photographer: Tim Mazik
University Affiliation: Alumni
Home Country: United States
Category: Arts & Culture
Award: 2nd Place
In the artist’s own words: "On an off-season, Tuesday morning, these novice monks arrived at a temple we were visiting in order to get their weekly meal allotment, which was primarily rice. Throughout our trip, we were impressed by the high level of English literacy in Myanmar, which in the mid-20th century, had one of the highest literacy rates in Asia, second only to Japan. Due to decades of military rule, the public education system deteriorated, and monasteries - particularly in rural areas - provide valuable support and education to the villagers."