Lynee Belton is a Duke 2019 alum and former Women’s Basketball team member. Belton participated in ACE in China in 2017, five years ago. She shares the value of relationships formed through ACE, from feeling welcomed by local community members to forming lasting friendships with other Duke and Stanford student-athletes.
What are you doing now? How did ACE influence your career?
Currently, I am a medical assistant and preparing for PA school in the future.
What was the most meaningful part of your ACE experience?
The most impactful part of my ACE experience was meeting new friends from Duke and Stanford that I am still friends with today.
Share a lesson you learned from your ACE experience that still holds true today:
We helped teach English to the local kids in a small community located outside of Zhongdian, China. Being patient was very key during this experience because of their young ages and the language barrier, but it was worth it in the end to be able to connect and teach them. These skills are something I still use today in my life.
Share a fun memory from ACE:
My favorite memory was having a fun night in the gazebo at CERS (the center where we were living) with the others on the program – we used facial masks with each other. I also ate a fish eye as a dare from another ACE student-athlete.
Describe your ACE experience in as few words as possible:
An experience I will never forget.
What’s one thing you want people to know about ACE?
The town that we stayed in was very welcoming and friendly, and we never felt out of place.
What’s your hope for the future of ACE?
I hope this program keeps going and expands the countries it works in!