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Eight William Paterson University students had the opportunity to deepen their writing through cross-cultural engagement, field-based learning, and reflective practice as part of a creative non-fiction Honors course taught by Martha Witt, a professor of English and director of the Honors College Performing and Literary Arts Track.
The course, Writing Brazil: A Creative Nonfiction Journey, ran during the spring 2025 semester and was followed by a supplemental three-week study abroad component in the coastal city of Ilhéus in northeastern Brazil, including a trip to Salvador. The program was open to students from all majors with a GPA of 3.25 or higher.
The students participated in writing workshops taught by Professor Witt at the Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz (UESC). “Our students were partnered with English-speaking UESC students (Brazil Buddies) to explore—through writing—themes of identity, culture, and memory,” says Witt. “Outside of class, the William Paterson students and their Brazil Buddies met up to socialize and to attend events on UESC's campus.”
During their time in Brazil, the students attended workshops and classes on Afro-Brazilian religions (including Candomblé and Umbanda), Indigenous performance traditions, and regional literature. Guest lectures and cultural seminars introduced students to the historical, social, and environmental realities of Bahia.
Highlights of the study abroad program included a day with the Tupinambá Indigenous community, a visit to a quilombola settlement of Afro-Brazilian descendants of enslaved people, a capoeira workshop, and field trips to cacao farms, waterfalls, and a visit to writer Jorge Amado’s home. The group also took a two-day trip to Salvador, where they learned more about the city’s legacy of African heritage and resistance.
Nursing major Imelda Omoyi says the class, which fit within her demanding nursing schedule, gave her a chance to branch out and meet new people. “It was a rare opportunity to explore, grow, and make lasting connections,” she added.
Other students were also enthusiastic about the opportunity to learn about another culture. “It was the experience of a lifetime,” says Anderson De La Oz, a sports medicine major. “It helped me find a deeper sense of myself.”
Witt spent the spring 2023 semester in Ilhéus as a Fulbright Scholar, teaching a creative writing course at UESC and working on a novel. This study abroad course grew out of her time in Brazil and her desire to give WPU students broader exposure to Latin American literature, along with the opportunity to travel and collaborate with students at UESC.
Students submitted final creative nonfiction portfolios shaped by personal insight and intercultural exchange. “The emphasis was not only the writing craft, but also gaining a deeper understanding of the ties between place, history, and the stories we tell about ourselves and others,” says Witt.
