Media Category: Student-Athlete Ambassadors

Catherine Purnell is a junior on the Duke swimming and diving team. She is studying International Comparative Studies and Global Health with a minor in Spanish. In the summer of 2021, she participated in the ACE in Place Program in Peru virtually. While she was unable to be in Peru physically, she got to connect with other student-athletes from Duke as well as mentors and other leaders from Peru. During her time, she got to learn how to work and communicate with others across a screen and across a language barrier. She continues to use these skills as she worked in Bolivia doing health research this past summer and continues to be involved in the Durham community, volunteering and using Spanish throughout these opportunities.

Cara Sambeth is a sophomore at Stanford on the Field Hockey Team. She participated in the virtual South Africa program in 2022 where she worked with Ocean Pledge and discovered the culture and wildlife of South Africa in a virtual way. By connecting with the other team members and the support staff she helped Ocean Pledge to launch its ambassador program and learned more about plastic in the ocean. As part of the Student-Athletes in Sustainability Club, Cara wants to continue working on the plastic problem by doing community service. View Cara's profile.

KyAnh's past experiences with community engagement includes volunteering at a Vietnamese temple to help teach kids how to read, write and speak Vietnamese as well as volunteering to teach little kids how to swim. She is committed to providing service in my community as well as promoting the importance of learning about diverse cultures.

Alana’s past experiences with community engagement include her positions in leadership throughout high school and participation in the Camp WIN Youth Advisory Board while home in Kansas City. At Stanford, Alana has had the opportunity to be apart of SAAC, co-found and become President of Social Events for Athletes, as well as be a mentor through PAE and a volunteer through the Female Athlete Mentorship program. Through her ACE in Place Thailand program in 2021, Alana has found a great passion in coaching and teaching young girls through sport, and further inspiring them to follow their dreams, wherever it may take them. View Alana's profile.

Taylor is a senior on the Stanford Women's Swimming and Diving team. She is pursuing a BS in Human Biology. Taylor’s past experiences with community engagement include participation in Stanford’s Cardinal Community program, volunteering at Lucile Packard Children’s hospital, and helping out at her local food bank in Arizona.View Taylor's profile.

Alayna of Duke Field Hockey joined the ACE in Colorado experience in summer of 2022 to engage with her strong passions for exploring a greener future. She was able to apply her Environmental Science and Sustainability studies to the program in learning about inspiring organizations across the state. Previously, she’s enjoyed tapping into the numerous environmental groups on campus and volunteering with local nonprofits. She has been excited to bring her interests to the ACE community to help forge the future where she values working with a driven, compassionate team. View Alayna's profile.

2021-2022 Ambassador Team

Joe Cullen is a senior on the Cross Country and Track Team at Duke. He is double majoring in Economics and Psychology with a concentration in Finance. ACE in Place allowed Joe to learn about the ethics of service and also highlighted the importance of adaptability within the context of service, and more broadly, our world. Joe, who is from Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, hopes to combine what he learned about ethics and service with ACE in Place to enjoy a more purposeful and helpful career.

Eve Micco is a senior on the Stanford Women's Gymnastics Team. She is studying management science and engineering with a concentration in operations and data analytics. Eve participated in the first ever year of ACE in Place. This offered her a unique ACE experience and provided her with the opportunity to learn more about ethical service, meet other ACE participants, and more. She also participate in the ACE GVI prototype and was excited to help navigate and learn more about virtual service. She is hoping to share her experience with teammates and other student athletes to encourage them to learn more about ACE.