Participating in the ACE program is worth is to me because I believe that working with communities and children can have a great impact. ACE will help me understand and learn more about a culture different from my own.
As part of the ACE in India program, participants will be teaching and coaching children and youth, with a focus on educational and leadership development through sports and teaching English and other subjects in classrooms.
Mackenzie’s past experiences with service include membership in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and involvement with the philanthropy committee of her chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity. Through ACE, Mackenzie is pursuing experiential learning credit for her International Relations major at Stanford.
Mackenzie Wiley is a senior on the Women’s Water Polo team. She is majoring in International Relations with a concentration in social development and human well-being and comparative international governance. During the summer of 2017 Mackenzie participated in the ACE in India program. Over those three weeks Mackenzie had the opportunity to volunteer at the Vidya School just outside New Delhi where she taught students english.The ACE program inspired Mackenzie to study children’s health and education in developing countries.
Want to hear more about Mackenzie’s ACE experience? Contact Mackenzie.
Dear Future #ACEathletes,
- Best advice for learning about ACE : On choosing a program, choose what programs seem to fit your interest best and which ones works best with your schedule.
- Best advice for applying for ACE: Apply even if you are nervous about going to one of the countries. Everyone is, but it is such an amazing experience.
- Best advice for getting started at your program: Just listen and take it all in. Be sure to look out the windows when you are driving and speak to the group leaders that are from the country.
- Tips for getting to know your community: Go out and explore. Find a place before you leave the homestay so you have a destination, but on your walk their explore the places you pass.
- Tips for training: I swam. It was not hard to balance training with everything else because there is time everyday to set aside to train.
- Tips for bringing ACE back to your team: I gave my team a presentation. I told them about my program and showed them a bunch of pictures. I also sent out reminders about the application when it came time.
- Reasons for staying involved in ACE: The program was a great experience for me and I want to be a part of promoting it for others.