“Participating in ACE in China this summer will give me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to to serve in a global context while also attaining a deeper appreciation for the culture and values of the people in Shangri-La. This program also will allow me to form meaningful relationships with my group members and the community in China, and I know I will carry these experiences with me throughout the rest of my life.”
Carolina Sculti’s past experience with service includes tutoring middle schoolers in her community, coaching young divers, and facilitating cultural and historical educational events at the Rye Free Reading Room in her home town. At Stanford, Carolina is the president of the outreach committee in Stanford Doctors Without Borders and works to raise awareness about the need for global accessible medicine.
Carolina Sculti is now a sophomore on the Women’s Diving team, and she participated in the ACE in China Program in the summer of 2019. Carolina is from Rye, New York, and has always enjoyed traveling internationally. As an International Relations major and a Chinese minor, the idea of working with children and being able to use Chinese in a global context excited her. Additionally, the chance to participate in a fully immersive community service experience over the summer seemed like a once in a lifetime chance- especially because of the limiting schedule of being a student-athlete. Carolina made incredible friends with shared interests from both Duke and Stanford on her ACE trip, and she is eager to continue service with the swim and dive team once she returns to campus.
Want to hear more about Carolina’s ACE experience? Contact Carolina.
Dear Future #ACEathletes,
- Best advice for learning about ACE: I think the best way to learn about programs is through the blogs from the student athletes! I went to a few info sessions and got a general idea of what ACE is about, but the blogs are great for getting details and real insight to what each program specifically values.
- Best advice for getting started at your program: The first couple days of ACE were a bit overwhelming, but just remember that all of your fellow ACE teammates are in the same boat. When I finally opened up about some of my nervousness, I realized everyone felt the same way and my teammates were my best resources for comfort and support. Openness and honesty with each other is the best recipe for successful collaboration and creativity!
- Tips for getting to know your community: Ask questions! Listen intently, with mindfulness and curiosity, but with no judgment. Some of the best parts of my trip were just listening to staff members tell stories about their lives in China. This mindfulness and consideration I practiced in China changed many of my relationships at home for the better.
- Tips for training: We all worked out at the same time each day. With time allotted for training, it was really a matter of energy management to have the motivation to get it done that day. Also, in a group of 10 driven athletes, high energy is contagious!
- Tips for bringing ACE back to your team: One of my teammates was actually on my ACE trip, and we learned a lot about how to collaborate with others in a respectful and productive way. We both have talked about how to implement these skills with the freshman coming in. Additionally I’m leading a few team community service activities throughout fall quarter, and hopefully they will continue throughout winter and spring!
- Reasons for staying involved in ACE: I want to stay involved with the ACE program because it taught me so much about how to interact with people of different backgrounds and cultures in a meaningful and intimate way. I am also so grateful for the relationships I made with my teammates throughout the three weeks in China, and I want to do all that I can to help other student athletes have the same incredible experience I had.