In her time at Stanford, Emily Schultz was involved with ACE since she was a first-year – participating in the ACE in Peru 2019 program and serving as an ACE Ambassador for the following four years. She is currently living in the Bay Area and working with Stanford’s orthopedic surgery department. Emily continues to live her ACE experience by being a mentor coaching youth softball and hopes to apply the global perspective she gained from ACE in her career as a physician.
What are you doing now? How has ACE influenced your career pathway?
I am currently living in the Bay Area, working as a clinical research coordinator with Stanford Orthopaedic Surgery and part-time as a medical scribe for an ENT clinic. I am leading projects in clinical research and working with patients full-time, which is something that I have really enjoyed. I am also giving softball lessons and working with local teams in the Bay Area, which has been so fulfilling after my softball career ended recently. My experience with ACE introduced me to public service and my continued experience as an ACE Ambassador showed me just how much I enjoy being a leader and mentor for others. Working with local girls and teaching them softball skills has been part of that mentorship experience that I have continued to adore!
Share one lesson from ACE that still holds today.
When we were walking back from one of the community sites in Peru, I walked alongside an older gentleman who lived in the area and did the hike every day. I tried my best, using all of the Spanish I knew, and we connected over our shared love of sports, his for soccer and mine for softball. I will forever cherish this moment from my ACE trip and it has been formative in my decision to apply to medical school and pursue a career as a physician. Connecting with others, so incredibly and wonderfully different from ourselves, is part of ACE and a career as a physician that is most meaningful to me. Taking the time to listen to someone’s full story and giving them the space to feel heard was a constant lesson throughout my 3 weeks in Peru that has applied to nearly every aspect of my life and my goals for my future career.
Describe your ACE experience in as few words as possible:
A once in a lifetime opportunity to develop and grow as a human being
What’s one thing you want people to know about ACE?
One part of the ACE experience that I think is most valuable is the continued support and lessons that the program provides. Leading up to the 3-week program, there are countless opportunities to learn and grow with other student-athletes. Additionally, after your trip, there are so many ways to continue to stay involved with the program and give back to your community. Personally, staying involved as an ACE Ambassador throughout my undergrad years was something that allowed me to grow as a leader and a human, and that is something that I am forever grateful for. ACE is an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime 3-week experience, but that experience goes far beyond what occurs in those 3 weeks.