For the ninth consecutive year, Duke student-athletes participated in immersive summer service experiences offered through the Rubenstein Student-Athlete Civic Engagement Program (ACE). This summer, ACE offered three international-based programs focused on supporting community-based organizations in Costa Rica, Panama (a new program location for Summer 2024), and South Africa.
ACE provides full-funding for selected Duke student-athletes to engage in immersive summer service experiences with international communities. The ACE Program reflects Duke University’s mission of public service and international engagement and is made possible by David Rubenstein’s generous support and Duke Athletics Ticket Sales. To date, ACE remains the only international community engagement program designed specifically for D-I student-athletes on this scale.
Thirty-six Duke student-athletes representing 15 different sports teams participated this summer. Across the three programs, ACE student-athletes contributed over 1,698 hours of service with organizations focused on youth development, education, sustainability and marine conservation, food insecurity, and sports enrichment.
After their ACE experiences, student-athletes work closely with ACE staff and campus partners to design personal ACE Action plans. Based on their Action Plans, past student-athletes have created service opportunities for their teams, taken language classes, pursued other related academic coursework, and applied for post-graduate fellowships. In addition, ACE participants have the opportunity to give back to the program by serving as ACE Alumni Ambassadors.
2024 ACE Summer Programs
● *NEW* ACE in Panama (1 week) May 5 – May 13
ACE’s first-ever program located in Panama, the ACE team spent five days teaching and coaching volleyball at two rural elementary schools in Coclé Province where they put their Spanish skills into practice. Their project culminated in a final fun competition and cultural exchange day, where students and their families participated in a volleyball game, fostering community and friendship through sports. The program concluded with time in Panama City, where the group learned more about the country’s history, including the unique role of the Panama Canal, and stayed in the Casco Viejo, the historic district of Panama City. Read the full lookback story here.
● ACE in Costa Rica (2 weeks) June 16 – June 30
The ACE student-athlete team worked on conservation-focused projects with local community members in the Costa Rican village of Gandoca to promote wildlife and ecosystem conservation and sustainable resource use. Projects including assisting in the maintenance of organic cacao farms, conserving the local sea turtle population through beach clean-ups and night patrols to monitor turtle nesting, removing over 146 pounds of trash during several beach cleans, creating social media content to bring awareness about local conservation efforts, and providing coaching to local students competing in track. Cultural enrichment activities included traveling to Sepecue, an Indigenous community, where students immersed themselves in the BriBri culture and volunteered with ongoing community projects. A highlight for this year’s group was engaging in friendly soccer games with community members. In addition, students took Spanish language lessons, learned about the chocolate-making process, visited Cahuita National Park, and hiked through Gandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge. Read the full lookback story here.
● ACE in South Africa (3 weeks) June 29 – July 20
Student-athletes partnered with two organizations focused on self-empowerment and sustainable development projects in communities around Cape Town. Through the Vusa Rugby and Learning Academy, students supported three Early Childhood Development (ECD) centers by teaching English to children ages 4-6, while also assisting in coaching youth ages 8-13 in Vusa’s holiday and afterschool sports programs. At Ladles of Love, they volunteered at the sandwich hub, making over 1,400 sandwiches for distribution and helping with various other food security projects, which also benefited many of the pre-school youth the ACE students worked with. Program highlights included learning about the history of Apartheid through trips to Robben Island and the District 6 Museum, as well as exploring the unique environmental features of the area by visiting Table Mountain and taking a Cape Point Peninsula tour. Student-athletes also participated in Xhosa language lessons and a Cape Malay cooking class. Read the full lookback story here.
WHO WERE THE MEMBERS OF THE Duke ACE 2024 TEAM?
· Raymond Adams (’27) – Wrestling | ACE in Panama
· Connor Barket (’26) – Wrestling | ACE in Panama
· Paige Bitting (’26) – Field Hockey | ACE in Panama
· Evan Brown (’26) – Men’s Swimming & Diving | ACE in Panama
· Ethan Grimminger (’26) – Wrestling | ACE in Panama
· River Hanson (’27) – Football | ACE in Panama
· Andrew Li (’27) – Men’s Swimming & Diving | ACE in Panama
· Zizi Newhard (’27) – Women’s Fencing | ACE in Panama
· McKenna Smith (’25) – Women’s Swimming & Diving | ACE in Panama
· Delaney Thomas (’27) – Women’s Basketball | ACE in Panama
· Khi Wall (’25) – Football | ACE in Panama
· Kerry Keefe (’26) – Volleyball | ACE in Panama
· Kennedy Barron (’25) – Softball | ACE in Costa Rica
· Nora Conaty (‘26) – Rowing | ACE in Costa Rica
· Alden Keller (’27) – Men’s Cross Country + Track & Field | ACE in Costa Rica
· Jack Kovach (’24) – Men’s Cross Country + Track & Field | ACE in Costa Rica
· Alaina McVeigh (’26) – Field Hockey | ACE in Costa Rica
· Kavya Menke (’25) – Women’s Fencing | ACE in Costa Rica
· Francesca Morland (’26) – Rowing | ACE in Costa Rica
· Ally Neiders (’26) – Women’s Track & Field | ACE in Costa Rica
· Austin Simpson (’26) – Men’s Swimming & Diving | ACE in Costa Rica
· Sydney Smith (’26) – Women’s Lacrosse | ACE in Costa Rica
· Sydney Tomlak (’26) – Volleyball | ACE in Costa Rica
· Mikaela Voinov (’27) – Rowing | ACE in Costa Rica
· Monica Balakrishnan (’26) – Women’s Fencing | ACE in South Africa
· Vaya Chhabra (’26) – Rowing | ACE in South Africa
· Brynn Crouse (’26) – Field Hockey | ACE in South Africa
· Jeremy Kain (’26) – Men’s Cross Country + Track & Field | ACE in South Africa
· Madeline Meredith (’26) – Women’s Swimming & Diving | ACE in South Africa
· Sean Morello (’27) – Men’s Cross Country + Track & Field | ACE in South Africa
· Thaïs Rolly (’27) – Women’s Cross Country + Track & Field | ACE in South Africa
· Yannis Schattman (’26) – Men’s Swimming & Diving | ACE in South Africa
· Macy Szukics (’26) – Field Hockey | ACE in South Africa
· Erin Temple (’26) – Rowing | ACE in South Africa
· Tatum Wall (’26) – Women’s Swimming & Diving | ACE in South Africa
· Josie Zillig (’26) – Women’s Swimming & Diving | ACE in South Africa
HOW DID THE ACE STUDENT-ATHLETES DESCRIBE THEIR EXPERIENCE?
Each student shared final reflections in a blog post at the end of their ACE experience.
- Stepping into such a remote setting and adapting to unfamiliar living conditions initially made me nervous. However, looking back, I am incredibly thankful for this experience in Costa Rica. I think that the biggest positive of going on a service experience such as this was the fact that I branched so far out of my comfort zone. The environment I was in, the work we did, and the people I interacted with, were unlike anything I have ever experienced. The benefits of pushing myself to take part in something so different than what I am used to offered insights into a new lifestyle, helped me forge connections with the community and my group and provided me with a new perspective on life. – Alaina McVeigh, Field Hockey, ACE in Costa Rica
- I will forever remember the abundance of connection that was on the trip. The connections in this community run deep, creating family support systems like I have never seen. I was amazed at how quickly the student-athletes connected as well. But what made this trip exceedingly special was how we were able to connect with the community. We were not outsiders coming in, starting new service projects, and teaching locals how to do things differently. We were truly immersing ourselves in their lives, doing what they would do daily, eating what they ate, and helping with projects that were already in motion. We felt connected and welcomed completely. – Ally Neiders, Women’s Track and Field, ACE in Costa Rica
- Reflecting on my ACE program this summer, I’m reminded of the profound cross-cultural learning experiences that have shaped not only my worldview but also my understanding of service and community. Engaging in volunteering abroad has been an impactful journey that was filled with unexpected challenges, eye-opening moments, and invaluable lessons. The reality of this experience has often differed from my initial expectations, as it exceeded anything I was expecting. As I look back on these experiences, I am taken aback by how much I have learned and how much my perspective on lots of things has changed. – Raymond Adams, Wrestling, ACE in Panama
- If I had to describe my ACE in Panama 2024 experience in one word, it would be gratitude. There was not a day or moment on my trip where I did not feel grateful to be where I was with the people I was surrounded by. Being able to step out of my own life, problems, current worries, and bubble allowed me to fully embrace the opportunity that I was taking part in. From the very moment that I landed in Panama City to the moment I landed in my home airport, I felt as though I kept my commitment to myself of staying present and enjoying the moment. – Delaney Thomas, Women’s Basketball, ACE in Panama
- I cannot forget about my ACE group, which I was lucky enough to meet and learn about on this journey. You would think us all being student-athletes at the same school we would have already connected, however, that was not the case before this trip. Therefore, these were also some of my favorite people I met along the way, and I am grateful to have eleven new friends at Duke. It was incredible sharing this journey with such a talented and successful group of student-athletes. With our new shared bond, I believe we will be able to continue to support each other. – Brynn Crouse, Field Hockey, ACE in South Africa
- The entire ACE experience is one that I will never be able to replicate and one I will always be grateful for; I hope that I had even a small percentage of an impact on the kids as they had an impact on me. I am so thankful for my time in South Africa and the people that I met. – Jeremy Kain, Men’s Cross-Country and Track & Field, ACE in South Africa