Schuylkill Snap! Penn State Schuylkill announces annual photo contest winners

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN, Pa. — Penn State Schuylkill hosted its second annual Schuylkill Snap! juried art show, celebrating the creativity of students, faculty and staff through photography that highlights the essence of Penn State Schuylkill and Schuylkill County.

A panel of judges selected 25 standout photographs to be displayed in the campus’s Art Space gallery, with the top three winners announced during the Art Show Reception on April 10.

First place was awarded to Regan Kreitzer, a second-year animal science major from Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania, for her photo titled "Rooted in Dairy." Taken at Wind Mill Farm in Pine Grove, where Kreitzer is currently employed, the photo captures a group of heifers looking curiously toward the camera. One of the cows featured, named Peppermint, was shown by Kreitzer at the 2024 Schuylkill County Fair.

“Cows are my passion in life, so I’m honored to have received first place for this photo,” Kreitzer said. “This picture was perfect for capturing Schuylkill County’s agricultural roots.”

Second place went to D.J. Higgins, assistant teaching professor of film/video and music, for his photo titled "Norman." The image features Norman Stabler, a student in several of Higgins’ classes, sitting on a bench located on the Penn State Schuylkill campus.

“Norm has taken my classes and always comes with a positive attitude,” said Higgins. “His love for learning is inspiring, and I wanted to capture his positivity in my photo. Norm is a lifelong philomath!”

Trinton Wheatley, a first-year business management and marketing major, earned third place for his photo "Is it real?" A Washington, D.C., native and musical artist who performs under the name “Sailor,” Wheatley submitted the photo after capturing it on the set of a World War II student film shot in Schuylkill County.

The finalists whose photographs are also on display include:​ Bolu Akinrinade, Jayme Nicholas Bender, Abbey Michele Delpais, Georgia Kathryn Dressler, Gabriella Eva Dubbs, Jayden Ferdinand, Amelia Ruby Gordon, Autumn M Gordon, Kacey Marie Harper, Farangiz Kholmatova, Grant Lapachinsky, Emily Anne Lascala, Ivan Magny-Garcia, Sophia I Mione, Ashley YENILI Polanco, AJ Serrano, Kathryn Steingraber and Yizhou Sun.

All winning and finalist photographs are on display in Art Space through July. The gallery is open to the public Monday through Friday from noon to 4 p.m.

The theme for next year’s Schuylkill Snap! photo contest will be “What Makes You Happy.”