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ACE seeks to keep family members of #ACEathletes informed about the program before, during and after the experience. Hear from other families about their student-athletes’ involvement in the program and their perspectives on the benefits of participating in ACE:

“I am overjoyed Jala had the opportunity to leave the country and explore a new way of living. She learned so many valuable lessons about God, herself, and Costa Rica.”

Felicia Morings, Mother of a Duke #ACEinCostaRica athlete (Summer 2023)

“ACE in Place Peru provided my daughter Sydney the gift of a window into a world beyond the comfort zone of many of us in America. Experiencing the needs of others first-hand taught her to be mindful of the less fortunate in the world, and an ongoing desire to seek purpose in life and to make the world a better place!”

Rich Yap, Father of a Duke #ACEinPlace athlete (Summer 2021)

 

“Participating in a service-oriented program in another country is an important, enriching experience for the students as well as their hosts. The extensive safety, health, and cultural preparation meetings that our daughter experienced reassured us that she would be ready for her three weeks abroad. ACE was the ideal program for our daughter, and I encourage other Duke and Stanford students to go for it!”

Pete Kutzer, Father of a Duke #ACEathlete in India (Summer 2018)

 

“This was a tremendous opportunity for these student athletes to experience another culture, give back to the community, and develop leadership skills.”

Keith Hinkle, Father of a Duke #ACEathlete in South Africa (Summer 2017)

 

“I was initially concerned with the distance and all the logistics involved with actually getting to Vietnam – what to pack, would he have enough food, would they be safe – but everything was thoroughly planned and extremely well-organized. Everything went very smoothly. It was an incredible experience for these student-athletes in so many ways – from having to hand-wash their laundry to teaching children who did not know any English. They created life-long friendships with other student-athletes, Vietnamese college students, and the 8th- and 9th-graders they worked with. The students even FaceTimed my son the day he got home. A civic engagement program like this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience what another part of the world is like – what the people are like, what they do for a living, what their goals are, etc. Our son gained so much more through ACE than we would have ever thought possible.”

Jackie Gehsmann, Mother of a Duke #ACEathlete in Vietnam (Summer 2017)

 

“ACE came at an important point in our daughter’s life as she was turning 20 and approaching her junior year at Duke. Beyond four semesters at Duke, she had not been away from home for an extended period and now she would be halfway around the world immersed in historic culture. She learned greater engagement skills, taught incredible children and worked side by side with students from Stanford. We were glad that she had the opportunity to represent Duke University abroad and were impressed with her awareness and gratitude for the experience.”

Michael Kerr, Father of a Duke #ACEathlete in India (Summer 2017)