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Stanford 2019 alum and former Women’s Field Hockey team member Julia DiTosto pushed herself outside of her comfort zone when she chose to participate in ACE in South Africa in the Summer of 2017. Now, five years later, DiTosto shares how saying “yes” to ACE helped her discover a passion for community engagement and public health, as well as a pathway to a career in community health research.

What are you doing now? How did ACE influence your career?

I am currently a Research Study Coordinator at the Yee Lab in the Department of OBGYN at Northwestern. I’m applying to PhD programs this fall! ACE definitely influenced my career path in making me realize how important community engagement is in social advocacy, public health, and research.

What was the most meaningful part of your ACE experience?

The most meaningful part of my ACE experience was the connection with the community organization. While at universities like Stanford and Duke, we can be in such a bubble surrounded by endless resources, ample opportunities, and some of the best faculty in the country. When we are paired with community organizations, there is no lack in passion, but unfortunately, resources are much more limited than what is open to us at our universities.

“This inspired me to pursue an MS in Community Health and Prevention Research, in order to learn more about how we can advocate for social change on the community level.”

– Julia DiTosto, ACE in South Africa 2017

For me, this was eye-opening in that these organizations were doing incredible work, yet they were spread thin among resources in the community. This inspired me to pursue an MS in Community Health and Prevention Research, in order to learn more about how we can advocate for social change on the community level.

Share a lesson you learned from your ACE experience that still holds true today:

ACE taught me to open myself up to new experiences and to push myself out of my comfort zone. We learn a lot about ourselves when we do things that are unfamiliar to us or we immerse ourselves in situations that we are not used to. It is through these experiences that we start to figure out what we are passionate about and how we want to contribute to our societies.

Share a fun ACE memory:

Prank wars in our house! The girls and boys had a prank war in the middle of our ACE experience. My favorite prank (and maybe the most evil) was putting toothpaste on the boys pillows…

Describe your ACE experience in as few words as possible:

Immersive, fun, and impactful.

What’s one thing you want people to know about ACE?

This is an extremely unique opportunity that student-athletes are given. I don’t think a program like this specifically geared towards some of the most competitive student-athletes exists anywhere else in the US.

What’s your hope for the future of ACE? What advice do you have for future ACE participants?

People show up to each opportunity with an open-mind, positive attitude, and a desire to listen.