“ACE provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will allow me to serve others while also challenging me to grow as an individual. Through this [experience], I will be able to experience a new culture, create lasting memories, and leave a positive impact on a community.”
Veronica’s past experiences with service include volunteering alongside her team at the Ronald McDonald House and serving community meals with Urban Ministries. She is also a member of Athletes in Action, a Christian student-athlete group. Finally, Veronica advocates for greater inclusivity for LGBTQ student-athletes by participating in Athlete Ally.
Veronica is a current senior on the Duke Cross Country and Track and Field teams. She is studying Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience. Prior to her involvement with ACE, she felt that she was no longer as committed to civic engagement as she had been before college. ACE in China provided the perfect opportunity to serve a community while also allowing her to learn a great deal about the Tibetan region’s rich culture. Her experience in China continues to reshape how she approaches situations, and it helped her make a bigger commitment to serving the Durham community. She also continued to stay engaged globally, as she worked in both Guatemala and Uganda this past summer. She still keeps in close contact with the other participants from the ACE program, and she continues to use what she learned to better herself, her team, and her school.
Want to hear more about Veronica’s ACE experience? Contact Veronica.
Dear Future #ACEathletes,
- Best advice for learning about ACE: I attended an info session and spoke to teammates that had previously participated in ACE. I also looked into the focus of each particular program.
- Best advice for applying for ACE: If you are applying to a program that you are passionate about, it will show in your application.
- Best advice for getting started at your program: We got to know the people we were working with through playing games and sharing experiences. Reflection was also a great time to get to know people and to figure out how to approach different situations.
- Tips for getting to know your community: Get to know the people at the CERS center, both the staff and those staying at the center. Having insight into a different lifestyle provides you with new perspectives about so many topics.
- Tips for training: I ran around the lake with other participants every day. It was great having other people there to keep me accountable and make training much more exciting.
- Tips for bringing ACE back to your team: I tell my teammates about different parts of the experience all the time. I am also working on setting up more opportunities for our team to be involved in civic engagement.
- Reasons for staying involved in ACE: This experience was one of the most amazing things I will likely ever do. It has taught me so much and allowed me to meet so many wonderful people, so I want to do what I can to help others have the same experience.