Amilton Baptista is a senior majoring in Africana studies with a minor in philosophy who recently became aware of his passion for traveling and discovering what the world has to offer.
During his first year at UMB, Baptista began learning about the different study abroad opportunities that the school offers. Out of all the programs, the student trip to Haiti was the one that stood out the most to him. Unfortunately, due to financial reasons, and later the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Baptista was not able to go travel to Haiti.
However, the overall concept of this trip sparked a new interest in Baptista. “I felt regretful because I did not take the chance to go to Haiti when I had the opportunity.” Baptista continued, “After the earthquake, I promised myself that I was never going to let go of any opportunity for travel.”
Shortly after the earthquake in Haiti, Baptista attended the Big 12 Conference on Black Student Government in Texas. Baptista said, “This was really the first time I had really been out of the state! Throughout the conference, I had the opportunity to meet people with very different cultures and backgrounds. It was there that I realized that this is something I could really get used to.”
A week after the Big 12 Conference on Black Student Government, Baptista received notice regarding a trip on the Amistad ship. Baptista explained, “The Amistad is a Cuban vessel that had been on American land for over 50 years and was now going to return home to Cuba.”
Baptista was made aware of the opportunity just two days before the ship was to set sail. Such short-term notice caught Baptista off-guard. However, Baptista stated, “I did not hesitate to say yes! Saying no, or simply stopping to think it through, would go against the promise I made to myself.” Baptista continued, “Also, I knew that due to its historical significance this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
“We sailed to Cuba for five days,” Baptista explained. “And let me tell you, just from that the time on the ship, I knew this trip was going to be very different than anything I had experienced. For starters, it made me realize how dependent Americans are on technology! During the five days on sea, there was no Wi-Fi, which forced those of us on the ship to spend time together and get to know one another.”
Baptista explained that once in Cuba, Internet access was not any greater than on the ship. Yet, this did not seem to be a big deal once in Cuba. Although Internet cafes were available in Cuba, Baptista explained, “People did not place as much importance on the internet in Cuba as they do in America. Instead, people tended to communicate with one another face to face, on a more personal level.”
When asked to describe his time in Cuba, Baptista responded with a huge smile on his face, “I do not think words can fully describe my time there. Cuba is nothing like I have ever seen before. My experience there was incredible!”
According to Baptista, “Everyone in Cuba was extremely welcoming; instead of making us feel like outsiders, they made us feel as a part of the community right away.” Baptista continued, “To Cubans, it does not matter where you come from. If you are in Cuba, you are basically considered Cuban.”
Baptista recalls that on his last night in Cuba, “The whole crew from the ship was out at three in the morning, and not one minute were we worried or feel out of place.”
As he tried to draw a comparison between Cuba and the United States, Baptista affirms, “Everyone in Cuba views each other as equals because they value humanity. In America, however, we tend to value people for what they have rather than by who they are.”
Baptista continued, “Everyone I encountered there had a desire to help whoever was in need. One example of this was our tour bus driver.” Baptista explained, “He would always pick up hitchhikers on the street. This is something that I have yet to see happen in America.”
According to Baptista, “The greatest lesson I learned in Cuba was to not always take what the media says as the absolute truth.” His advice to all is to “experience different cultures personally and use that as a way to base one’s opinion on that particular culture or place, rather than just take the media’s word for it.”
This trip inspired him to start his own study abroad program, and in the summer of 2011 he went to Brazil and Cape Verde.
During his time at UMB, Baptista has also visited California, Detroit and New York. Baptista is not exactly sure what he is going to do after his graduation in the spring, but is excited to learn where the road will take him.
