She cried uncontrollably. Her husband called it an awakening.
Tryette Puentes, a UNM senior, said her trip to Ghana sponsored by African-American studies allowed her to experience the pain and anguish slaves felt.
When she walked through slave castles, she felt sick to her stomach, Puentes said. In the dungeon, she felt the spirits of slaves who died, she said.
Fifteen UNM students and community members traveled to Ghana last summer.
Students can actually be in a place where slaves were traded, program founder Shaime Okuner said.
"The trip changed my life," Puentes said.
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Puentes had planned to major in broadcast journalism before going to Ghana - she even had an internship with Channel 13.
After returning, she said she realized she wanted to learn as much as she could about African-American culture. She switched her degree to a double major in African-American studies and history.
Every summer students and community members can go on the trip. It costs $4,000 and gives students first-hand experience with African culture, its heritage and the slave trade.
Ghana is a tropical country on the west coast of Africa and gained its independence from Britain in 1957.
"I wanted to go experience where my ancestors came from and see my roots," Puentes said.
The most gratifying experience, she said, was meeting a young man in the market who welcomed her as his sister even though her family has not been in Africa for generations.
"Lots of African-Americans don't go back and see their roots," Puentes said. "There was a feeling of acceptance."
UNM students can receive between three and six credit hours in African-American studies for participation and documentation of the trip.
"Everybody in Ghana is so nice," said Mandi Costa, a UNM senior and African-American studies major. "You're getting away from any worries about terrorists. People are welcoming."
The program is available to all students attending a New Mexico university or any other regional or national institution.
"There is a different perspective," Puentes said. "People live with the basic stuff to survive. There is no materialism. You realize that when you come back."
The trip was an amazing experience, she said, and she now appreciates the things she has.
The trip teaches students about African history, provides hands-on experience, and gives them something history books can't teach, Puentes said.
The program will continue next year.
