It took more than a year to organize a Spring break learning trip to Salvador da Bahia. Dean Theresa Thames, from the Office of Religious Life, had envisioned taking students to Salvador da Bahia to learn more about Afro-Brazilian religions and how these cultural traditions are undeniably embedded in everyday life. In December 2024, Dean Thames reached out to SPO lecturers Luana Reis and Amina Shabani to collaborate on this trip. Out of 86 applications, 12 students were accepted including four SPO students. Current Portuguese students Gianmarco Miranda Bueno and Joe Victor Uglialoro, former Spanish and Portuguese student Gil Sander Joseph and SPO major Elisabeth Jane Stewart were part of the group. Below are their reflections on a trip that was truly unforgettable.

Gianmarco Miranda Bueno

“My first trip to Brazil was more than I could have ever asked for, and it’s all thanks to SPO and ORL. We experienced a side of Brazil that we never would have seen on a typical excursion.” 

We got a firsthand look at what it means for Afro-Brazilian communities to flourish, preserve, and reclaim their identities in a society that, in many ways, seeks to suppress them. Along the way, I also found powerful connections to my own experiences in the diaspora. Truly, it was one for the books!

“Eu tive uma viagem inesquecível este Spring Break. Eu fui para Salvador e fiquei lá por uma semana. O motivo principal da viagem foi conhecer a cultura e espiritualidade Afro-Brasileira. Essa viagem foi especial porque foi minha primeira vez no Brasil. O momento mais marcante foi quando visitamos um Kilombo e ouvimos as histórias do ativismo e trabalho social das pessoas dessa comunidade kilombola. Antes da viagem, eu não sabia o que esperar, mas agora eu sei que tenho que voltar ao Brasil pelas experiências culturais e ancestrais, mas também por causa das festas que são muito legais.” 

Joe Uglialoro

Though we were only in Brazil for a week, our time with ORL and SPO gave us new experiences that will last a lifetime. 

"Getting to experience Candomblé firsthand brought the religion to life in a way that would never have been possible without this trip. Thanks to thorough planning and wonderful guides in Salvador, we got the chance to see past the traditional narratives about Brazil and gain personal insight into a culture and religion that is underrepresented in both Brazilian and U.S. media. Last but not least, I got to practice my Portuguese!”

“Durante nossa viagem a Salvador, aprendi muito sobre a cultura afro-brasileira e também tive a oportunidade de praticar meu português em uma cidade onde o português é obrigatório. Mil abraços ao departamento SPO, Luana, Amina e a todas as pessoas da viagem!”

Gil Sander Joseph 

“During this trip, I had the opportunity to interpret for my classmates who didn't understand Portuguese, which was a truly enriching experience. "

I thought about the Princeton classrooms where I learned my first words in Portuguese and felt immense gratitude for the choice I had made to learn this language, and even more so for the people who accompanied me on this journey. 

"In these moments, I felt humbled that I was able to engage with a world of its own thanks to the language, and being able to open that door to others through interpretation was the icing on the cake. Of the many extraordinary encounters and learning opportunities I experienced on this trip, these moments were among the most meaningful”. 

Elisabeth Jane Stewart

 What I truly cherish about the Portuguese courses at Princeton is how they highlight stories from Brazil and other parts of the Portuguese-speaking world that aren’t always represented in mainstream academia in the United States—something that I also appreciated about the trip to Salvador. 

"We had the privilege of learning from numerous community members about the rich spiritual, cultural, and educational communities they have nurtured and sustained for centuries. A standout moment of the trip was visiting a terreiro (a Candomblé place of worship), where we observed how each member of the faith community contributes to maintaining the space, building unity, and practicing their spirituality. The warmth, kindness, and openness of everyone at the terreiro left a profound impression on me.” 

Photo Credit: Luana Reis, Gabby Chavarria, D’Schon Simmons, Gil Sander Joseph and Elisabeth Jane Stewart.