Alden is a sophomore on Duke Men's Cross Country and Track & Field teams and participated in the ACE in Costa Rica program in the summer of 2024. Alden's experience in his program introduced him to amazing people and once in a lifetime opportunities and as an ambassador he hopes he can make sure other people can experience what he did.
Vaya Chhabra is a Junior on the Duke Rowing Team and is from Charlottesville, Virginia. She is majoring in economics and global health and plans to pursue a career in medicine. She participated in the 2024 ACE in South Africa program, teaching English to children in Langa, a local township, through games, songs and crafts alongside 11 other Duke athletes. She also spent time planning a sports camp, learning how to play rugby, and volunteering at Ladles of Love, a non-profit that works to provide nourishing meals to communities in Cape Town, especially young children. This experience highlighted the power of education and sport in bringing people together and left Vaya with a profound sense of gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of ACE. The impact the Langa community left on her is indelible, and she is looking forward to encouraging others to join ACE and make connections of their own.
Sydney Tomlak is a Junior on the Women's Volleyball Team from Rochester, Michigan, and participated in ACE in Costa Rica 2024. Sydney loves animals and the natural environment and values her experience in Gandoca for being able to work with both. Sydney hopes to bring back what she learned about sea turtle conservation and organic farming to her everyday life.
Zizi Newhard is a Sophomore on the Women's Fencing team and a participant in the 2024 ACE in Panama program. She is majoring in Environmental Science and has a strong passion for sustainability and the outdoors. During her time in Panama, she helped to facilitate a volleyball camp and tournament for elementary school students. She is very grateful for the incredible experience ACE provided to her and hopes to bring what she has learned to further community engagement at Duke.
Francesca Morland is currently a junior on the Duke Women’s Rowing Team and is majoring in Economics with a minor in Environmental Science and Policy. She is from Guildford, United Kingdom and participated in the ACE program in Costa Rica 2024. Throughout the program, Francesca spent time immersing herself in the rich Costa Rican culture and traditions. Through volunteering within the Gandocan community, of which included beach cleanups and working at a cacao farm, Francesca experienced first hand how anthropogenic climate change threatens small rural communities like Gondoca. The program highlighted the importance of living in harmony with each other and the environment. With her learnings and experiences from the ACE program, she strengthened her wish to pursue a career in sustainability.
Sean Morello is a sophomore on the Men's Track and Field & Cross Country Teams from Berkeley, California. He participated in the South Africa 2024 project. Sean wants to bring what he learned abroad about global cooperation and education to his studies in Public Policy and Political Economy. As an ambassador, he is excited to promote the value of ACE to future cohorts of student athletes.
Andrew Li is a sophomore on the Swim and Dive team. He participated in ACE in Panama in 2024, which taught him the value of personal connections and gratitude. Andrew is excited about ACE and wants others to be excited too, which is why he became an Ambassador.
Sydney Smith is a junior on the Duke women's lacrosse team and a native of Mt. Airy, MD. She is majoring in psychology and double minoring in environmental science and policy and African and African-American studies with the hope of earning her PhD in clinical psychology. She participated in the 2024 ACE in Costa Rica program, where she focused on environmental conservation and sustainability and learned to foster respect and acknowledgment for all living things and cultures.
Madeline Meredith is a junior on the Women's Duke Swim and Dive team from Louisville, KY. Along with 11 other Duke student-athletes, she participated in the summer 2024 ACE program in Cape Town, South Africa. Together, they teamed up with teachers at Early Childhood Development Centers to introduce new methods of teaching English as a second language to children. They also partnered with VUSA to organize sports camps for boys ages 9-11 in a local township. While in South Africa, she immersed herself in the country's rich history and traditions by visiting historical landmarks and museums, all while experiencing Cape Town's vibrant modern culture.
Paige Bitting is a junior on the Field Hockey team and is studying psychology. She participated in ACE in Panama 2024, where she had the opportunity to engage in the community and share her passion for sports by teaching volleyball to elementary-aged kids. Paige is excited to share the impact of her ACE experience with others.
