Skip to main content

This is part of a series highlighting recent ACE participants who are finding meaningful ways to connect and build on their ACE experience beyond their three-week ACE summer program. After student-athlete participants complete their ACE summer, they are encouraged to think about a specific goal that connects their ACE experience to their life in a meaningful way.  ACE staff support this process through the development of a personal ACE Action Plan and 1-1 coaching, group meetings, and check-ins throughout the year. Learn more about the ACE Plan Process and other ways ACE student-athletes are supported post-experience.

Katya Sander, a sophomore on Stanford’s Women’s Gymnastics Team, used her experience from ACE in Place Peru to directly impact her university. Her drive to continue giving back to and connecting with her community made this opportunity even more impactful.

Sander’s impact came through applying for and being accepted as the Director of Fall Operations for Cardinal Community. Cardinal Community serves as Stanford’s student-athlete community service group.

“Through Cardinal Community, I have gotten the opportunity to work collaboratively with other leaders on the board to organize events, mainly during fall quarter, but also beyond,” Sander explained when talking about her position with Cardinal Community.

“Our only goals were to bring people together while engaging in valuable work in helping others.”

– Katya Sander, ACE in Place Peru

Sander highlighted an event she organized in particular that was the largest the Cardinal Community had put together to date. She and other Stanford student-athletes put together a presentation on healthy eating habits for a local elementary school.  From setting up the communication with local schools in the area to communicating with board members and Stanford’s Sports Nutrition Department to being in charge of writing the script, Sander played a significant role in putting on and leading this event.

“While the ACE and Cardinal Community leadership experiences are certainly unique, there are clear parallels between the two of them.  For both, communication and creativity are key skills in the success of the work,” Sander described when reflecting on her ACTION Plan.

Sander reemphasized how valuable and important communication was during her ACE virtual experience. This enabled her ACE team to have a strong, productive plan for the work they wanted to accomplish, while also representing the values set forth by the group. This type of work is easier said than done, however.

“Challenging as [these experiences] were, they lent me the ability to approach all of my work with a greater perspective in mind and trust myself to execute impressively without a set plan,” Sander responded when talking about the challenges of ACE and her work with Cardinal Community.

“I will always remember the moments I spent working with ACE during those three weeks this past summer, but the lessons I’ve taken away from that time still have lasting impacts on me today, and I know will continue to do so well into my future.”

– Katya Sander, ACE in Place Peru

Sander’s direct contributions to Cardinal Community helped her grow and significantly impacted the surrounding community. “Our only goals were to bring people together while engaging in valuable work in helping others.”

Just as she did with ACE, this past year Katya Sander was able to bring people together in a community while engaging in valuable and meaningful work with the goal of helping others.  “I will always remember the moments I spent working with ACE during those three weeks this past summer, but the lessons I’ve taken away from that time still have lasting impacts on me today, and I know will continue to do so well into my future.”