International Programs Ghana scholarship recipient Shatesha Morris will study at the University of Ghana-Legon for the 2016-17 academic year. (Sacramento State/Andrea Price)

Sacramento State is proudly sending off four students to study abroad this fall after they won scholarships to attend California State University International Programs (CSU IP). Students will spread their wings to Ghana and Korea, bringing the recently coined hashtag #HornetsWorldwide to a new level.

In addition, a scholarship recipient from Sac State will study in England as part of the University’s direct exchange program.

CSU IP, established in 1963, provides qualified students with affordable opportunities to study abroad for a full academic year. More than 15,000 CSU students have participated.

Shatesha Morris, an incoming junior who received a $1,000 IP Ghana Scholarship, will study at the University of Ghana-Legon during the 2016-17 academic year. Double majoring in social work and criminal justice, Morris has big plans after graduation, including pursuing a law degree and a career in family law. She hopes the program will reaffirm this dream.

“Visiting Ghana will help me achieve my goals in various ways,” Morris says. “I will be able to obtain skills that otherwise take years to develop. I plan to utilize this trip to truly understand myself so that afterward, I am able to fully know what I want to do. I hope this journey guides me to my path.”

Morris is the only CSU IP participant to receive the IP Ghana scholarship to attend the University of Ghana-Legon, a campus with nearly 40,000 students. CSU IP provides opportunities to develop a fuller understanding of the society and culture of Ghana, as well as a taste of the Twi language through required coursework. The program will wrap up in the spring semester with a service learning experience of the student’s choice. Previous service learning has involved working at local schools, law offices, museums, and research institutions.

Students Mary Ly, Brandon Moua, and Kang La Vang, who received up to $5,000 each from the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, are to study at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, through CSU IP during the 2016-17 academic year.

Vang is an international business student who always has wanted to visit South Korea and earn a degree leading to a career in international affairs. With the help of the scholarship, the graduating senior will live out both dreams at once.

“I believe that studying abroad will widen my perspective and prepare me for all the different situations that may arise while pursuing my desired career,” Vang says. “Understanding that South Korea has prominent multinational companies such as Samsung and Hyundai, it will be a good opportunity to learn more about the home country of these companies.”

Another student, who also received the Gilman Scholarship, will study at Oxford Brookes University in England through Sacramento State’s direct exchange program during the fall semester.

According to Janis Silvers, Sacramento State’s Study Abroad and International Exchange coordinator, the Gilman Scholarship winners are among more than 850 American undergraduate recipients from 324 colleges and universities across the country to study during the fall semester or the full 2016-17 academic year.

The Gilman Scholarship Program encourages students to choose nontraditional destinations outside of Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, which in turn will enable students to contribute broader perspectives when returning to Sacramento State. The scholarship program is sponsored by the State Department’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs.

For more information on CSU IP, visit csuip.calstate.edu. For more information on the IP Ghana scholarship, visit bit.ly/2ayHvQe. For more information on the Gilman Scholarship Program, visit bit.ly/2au8NFI. – Jayla Lee