Image Courtesy of Duke Athletics
A member of the Duke Women’s Tennis Team and the class of 2020, Meible Chi was one of many student-athletes forced to stop their final season halfway, drawing an important chapter in their lives closed in an unsatisfying way. Understandably disappointed, when Chi was offered a 5th year by her coaches, she jumped at the opportunity and is now pursuing a Masters of Management Studies through Duke’s Fuqua School of Business while competing in her last season of tennis.
Chi has led an impressive athletic career while at Duke. Her 112 career wins rank her 12th all time at Duke in this category. In the 2019-20 season, Chi went 17-3 overall, keeping a perfect record in both dual (11-0) and ACC (3-0) matches. She reached a rank of No. 15 during this season and was also nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year.
Chi also received the ITA Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award in 2020, making her the first student-athlete in Duke women’s tennis history to do so. This award is presented to those student-athletes who demonstrate excellent sportsmanship and leadership in their careers and have notched tennis, scholastic, and extracurricular achievements. Chi was nominated for this award by head coach Jamie Ashworth.
I definitely, after doing that program [ACE], have had a desire to really step up and try to make a difference in my life and try to help people in any way that I could, either just through listening to my teammates or trying to lead them when we’re in a match…”
– Meible Chi
She credits her success to the support of her teammates and coaches throughout her career. For Chi, winning this award was a humbling and powerful experience and she is grateful to be nationally recognized for her leadership and sportsmanship abilities.
Chi also credits two programs, one of them being ACE, for having a significant impact on her success, personal development, and ability to achieve her ultimate goal of going to medical school.
The first program Chi mentions is CAPE (Collegiate Athlete Pre-Medical Experience), a program designed specifically for female student-athletes at Duke who plan on pursuing a career in Medicine. Throughout the year, doctors from Duke Hospital, as well as visiting doctors, come into the program to share their experiences. It gives the student-athletes a behind-the-scenes look at their future careers, and it also provides mentorship opportunities and academic support.
I actually became an ambassador for [ACE] and have become a lot more vocal.
– Meible Chi
Chi also shares how her involvement with the ACE Program shaped her Duke career. Chi is an alum of ACE in China 2018. Chi reflects on how ACE changed her perspective on life and her approach to everyday tasks. Participating in ACE increased her self-confidence and gave her the opportunity to grow and develop her voice. ACE was so impactful that Chi became an ambassador for the program.
“I definitely, after doing that program, have had a desire to really step up and try to make a difference in my life and try to help people in any way that I could, either just through listening to my teammates or trying to lead them when we’re in a match,” explained Chi. “I actually became an ambassador for [ACE] and have become a lot more vocal.”
Read the full story here, complete with further details about Chi’s career.