Galloway, N.J. – What began as a way for the Office of Global Engagement to streamline information gathering for Stockton students interested in studying abroad has transformed into a centralized and comprehensive hub encompassing all of the resources and programs available to students.

Students explored the tables lining the hallways of the Campus Center to find programs that best suited their interests at the Jan. 30 Study Abroad Fair. Amidst the information and resources were chances to win giveaways, such as a raffle for a new suitcase or a free T-shirt after spinning a prize wheel.

Study abroad options, like the faculty-led programming that takes students to Ghana, South Africa and Greece, were manned by students and faculty who joined previous excursions, like Criminal Justice major Isabella Campione, who vlogged her time in Italy and Ireland, and Environmental Science major Jayden Hamlet, who visited Ghana through the program just last year. 

As someone who possesses an innate adventurousness, Hamlet is hopeful that his role in the fair will encourage students to consider studying abroad.

“As soon as we touched down in Africa, I already knew that I would gain a lot of experiences and a lot of memories from this, and I wanted to share that with the school community,” said Hamlet, who had previously described his study in Ghana as “transformative.”

“I felt like this program should be bigger on-campus because visiting Ghana is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that not many people, especially African Americans, get to do,” Hamlet continued. “I liked spreading this adventurer mindset and telling people to travel and get out of their shells.”  

It seems that he may have won over a student, Eshea Gilbert, who is pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree. Gilbert visited Hamlet’s table and was soon signing up to receive more information for the next study in the spring of 2026.

“I think the experience would definitely allow me to immerse myself in things that I really don't have any exposure to. I think it will be phenomenal,” said Gilbert, of East Orange. “Talking to Jayden since he went on the study absolutely made a difference for me because I could relate to a student on my level, as opposed to speaking with a faculty member who obviously has had different resources than us as students or whatever the case may be.”

Other programs tabling the fair included CEA Capa, WorldStrides and Excelia University in France, where Stockton students have studied since 2016. 

In November, the French university renewed its collaboration with Stockton and, in addition, signed a new agreement that will bring a cohort of up to 30 Excelia students and a professor to Stockton’s campus every fall, starting with the fall 2025 semester.

Stockton Director of Global Engagement Patricia Sagasti Suppes is confident that the experience will benefit both Stockton and Excelia students.

“They will take courses from their faculty and Stockton’s, and our students will be able to also take the courses offered by the Excelia professors,” Sagasti Suppes said. “This is an opportunity for cultural exchange and the development of further collaborations, and I’m looking forward to the opportunities this project will bring to Stockton students and faculty.”

– Story by Loukaia Tayor

– Photos by Susan Allen 

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