On April 22, 2016, Sixteen scholar-athletes—one from each school in CUNY—embarked on a trip to Cuba for the CUNY Goodwill Tour and experienced a life-changing and memorable trip.

The goal of the trip was to learn about the history and culture of Cuba and to grow in appreciation for the opportunities in the United States, while also helping to create bonds with the people of Cuba through sports.

“I always talk about the Goodwill Tours as an awesome out-of-classroom experience that is difficult to replicate, but Cuba was an out-of-this-world adventure,” said Commissioner Zak Ivkovic after leading his 7th Tour for the CUNY students.

Culture shock was definitely apparent in the beginning days of the trip. The Internet was hard to come by and toilet paper was a hot commodity. The food didn’t always agree with people and, at times, there were more horses than cars on the roads.

But in the end, the experiences this group shared together were positive and taught many life lessons. In addition, lifetime friendships were formed within a group of people who were strangers just ten days earlier.

On April 22, after a long trip that included an overnight stay in Ft. Lauderdale and a long wait at the Havana airport, the group finally arrived at their hotel for the first time.

On the way to the hotel, they got a glimpse of how Cuba is frozen in time, with ubiquitous classic 1950s American cars on the roads and old buildings with classic architecture that looked like they haven't been touched in decades.

"It brought me back to the Dominican Republic and how poor we are,” said BMCC women's basketball player Jhoanna Castro, who is a native of the Dominican Republic, "But at the same time, we really appreciate what we have, like family and culture. I felt a really good connection with the land and the people."

Once at the hotel, everyone checked in and was treated to stunning views from the balcony of their rooms. With everyone staying on the 21st floor, the balcony overlooked all of Havana.

"Once we got into our room and we looked out and it just looks out over the ocean and it’s unbelievably gorgeous. I didn't believe it," added Brooklyn College men's soccer player Kevin Bresnan.

On day two, everyone got a tour of Havana, which included Revolution Square, which featured a statue of Jose Marti, who was a vital figure in Cuba’s independence from Spain, as well as murals of Che Guevara, the revolutionary figure who helped usher in the current government in Cuba. Che (meaning “friend”) is an ever-present image throughout our travels as a symbol of their struggle and victory.

The most memorable part of the day happened during lunch, when many of the student-athletes opened up to talk about their struggles and challenges they've faced in their lives to get to this point, and how athletics and CUNY has helped them to overcome those challenges.

"I thought it would be more of a quick overview,” said Michelle Gomez of Queens College. "But knowing the fact that everyone was so comfortable sharing, made me more comfortable saying what I had to say."

It was a moment within the trip that everyone will remember since the personal struggles and varied paths make our students so unique and to see those challenges, combined with their athletic roles and full-time school load all the more remarkable as they seek the collegiate finish line with such lofty GPAs and athletic successes. It will certainly add great value to the final video documentary of this Goodwill Tour.

The following day, the group got to see what Cuban life was like outside of Havana, when they visited Pinar Del Rio, a rural area famous for its tobacco farms, which produce some of the best cigars in the world.  

One surreal scene was when the group spotted a father riding his two young sons on horseback through the street.  His older son held on to his back behind him, while the father clinged to his younger son—who couldn’t be more than two-years old— on the front of the horse.  It was a beautiful moment that no expected to see.  Several of the student-athletes then got off the bus and presented the two children with a soccer ball as a gift.

“It was a beautiful to actually see, but it was also sad and it made me so thankful that at home we are able to have basic things we need like cars and transportation,” said Stephanie Hahn, a women’s volleyball player at Kingsborough Community College.

 On April 25, the group had a couple of exciting experiences. First they got  to meet with Cuban baseball legend Omar Linares.  He is considered by  many as the greatest Cuban baseball player of all time.  He spoke about his  life as a baseball player in Cuba and answered many questions from the  CUNY student-athletes. He discussed his family obligations and closeness  to them and his country for turning down a $40 million offer from the Atlanta  Braves after the 1996 Olympic gold medal game in which he hit 3 home  runs.

"I was really touched by what Omar Linares said, when he said that giving up is something that is never in my head and it shouldn't be in your head if you want to accomplish things," noted Deborah Ramirez, a cross country and track and field athlete at Hunter College. "I was really touched by what he said because I am going through some really bad injuries and it's stopping me from running. A lot of times when I'm at rehab I feel like giving up, but when he said that, I realized that it shouldn't be something I should be thinking about as an athlete. It made my whole day better."

Later in the evening, everyone had a truly unique Cuban experience, as they took taxi rides to dinner in restored 1950s American convertibles.  The drove on the main strip, the famous Malecón, during sunset and were treated to some beautiful sights.

“I swear it felt like a movie shoot. Everybody was waving at us like we were royalty and, at that moment, it was as if life stopped and all my worries about missing my family and my problems went out my head,” said Daomi Burch of Queensborough Community College.

The next day was a very important day for the CUNYAC Goodwill participants, with everyone visiting a local pediatric hospital in Havana.

The Cuban healthcare system is much different than the United States system.  On the plus side, healthcare is free to all citizens.  However, they lack a lot of the benefits Americans receive.  The first impression that struck a lot of people was how rundown the hospital appeared.  The doctor also said how they have a shortage of medical equipment and are forced to reuse some materials that are designed to be used only once. Despite the challenges, Cubans are among the leaders in the world in preventive care, which is their primary focus.

One young boy has been in the hospital for 18 months straight, awaiting a kidney transplant.  He stays in the hospital so he can receive dialysis on a regular basis. 

“We were in the room and talking to his mom.  She said she wanted to be the person to give him a kidney but she wasn’t a match,” said Victoria Wong, a women’s volleyball player at the College of Staten Island.  “We were in there and we gave him baseball cards and a tennis ball.  He told us he loves baseball and that he loves to play ball with his brother but didn’t have one. I was tearing up seeing how happy he was.”

“My most memorable moment was when the mother of one of the sick children told me in Spanish that “Eres un angel, Dios Te Dendiga”—You are an angel, God Bless You. At this point I started to cry again and we hugged and comforted each other because she started to cry as well. I will never forget that moment in my life and I will always be thankful for being selected as part of this amazing trip that changed my life forever because the people in Cuba have taught me that having a family is far more valuable than any technology or money in the world,” said Castro.

After a long travel day, the group arrived in Trinidad, a city that is four hours south of Havana, and was founded more than 500 years ago.  It is located right on the southern coast and the group’s hotel was located adjacent to a beautiful beach.  

The highlight of the time in Trinidad was when everyone stopped at a local school and taught sports to all the children.

Soccer players Justin Starrantino (Baruch), Kevin Bresnan (Brooklyn), Juliana Generoso (Lehman), Sciancia Metelus (Medgar Evers), Maxwell Berkow (CCNY) and CUNYAC commissioner Zak Ivkovic got a soccer game going with some of the children.  Basketball players Kailyn Richburg (LaGuardia), Daomi Burch (Queensborough) and Stephanie Hahn (Kingsborough) taught some children basketball.  York Sports Information Director John Scarinci and John Jay Associate Athletic Director Cat Alves—former collegiate baseball/softball players—got a game of baseball going, while Ashley Suarez (Bronx Community College), Michelle Gomez (Queens), Victoria Wong (Staten Island), Carmelo Cintron (John Jay) and Diana Cuevas (York) taught some young girls volleyball as well as a few dance moves.  

“It amazes me that in Cuba there are optional after-school programs where children share a public park to practice their individual hobbies,” said Ashley Suarez of Bronx CC.  “All children demonstrated their passion, whether it was karate or dancing. Their performance and discipline was absolutely outstanding.” 

The final day of the CUNY Goodwill Tour to Cuba was filled with adventure.  All the CUNY student-athletes ventured on a seven kilometer hike through the Salto El Caburni trail in Trinidad.

The hike started with a treacherous descent for 3.5 kilometers filled with steep slopes and rocky steps.  However, the payoff was worth it because it led to a beautiful waterfall where everyone could cool off with a swim.

After cooling off in the water and eating lunch, they traveled back up the trail.  The way up was extremely difficult to traverse.  Everyone struggled to the finish, and some got tired of hiking, so they got on horseback for the final leg of the hike.

“The waterfall was REALLY nice.  It was beautiful there,” said Maxwell Berkow of CCNY.  “The water felt great. It was cold, but not too cold.  It was one of the most refreshing places I’ve been, especially after the hike.”

The next day, the group departed back home.  Even there the group was reminded again of how small the world can be through yet another surprise meeting with CUNY alumni, a consistent theme throughout our 10 days.

CUNYAC Goodwill Tour to Cuba was officially over, but the memories and impressions from the trip will have a lifetime effect on the 16 student-athletes and five staff members who made the incredible journey.