After her time in Vietnam and at Stanford, Morgan Hentz has gone on to compete professionally as a volleyball player both abroad and in the US. Morgan shares that her ACE experience inspired her to pursue her sport at the highest level, reflecting on the dedication and passion for sport and school the Vietnamese youth showed at the summer camp she helped run. Morgan returned to the US with a changed perspective and continues to live out her experience in many aspects of her life.
What are you doing now? How has ACE influenced your career pathway?
I am currently playing professional volleyball and competing with the US Women’s National Volleyball Team. My ACE experience taught me the importance of connecting with others, and it has inspired me to pursue a career in occupational therapy when I am finished playing volleyball. The program has helped me learn how to get out of my comfort zone, to be open and vulnerable with others, as well as to never take education and the resources I have had accessible to me academically and athletically for granted. I’ve learned invaluable lessons through ACE that have shaped who I’ve become today, and I’m forever grateful for the people I met and the experiences had with the program. After ACE, I returned to the States with a new perspective on growth mindset and perspective-taking.
Share one lesson from ACE that still holds today.
I will never forget the dedication and commitment of the Vietnamese students to attend and participate in camp activities. Some of the fourth and fifth-grade students would bike over an hour just to attend the summer camp! They came in each day with an enthusiasm and passion to excel in the classroom and in sports. Whether they were learning English or baseball for the first time, they truly poured their hearts into it and gave it their all. It was inspiring and rejuvenating to be a part of!
Describe your ACE experience in as few words as possible:
Gratitude, perspective, loving
What was the most meaningful part of your ACE experience?
The most meaningful part of my ACE experience was by far the people! Whether it was the students, Vietnamese college students, and the Duke and Stanford student-athletes, everyone came in with an open heart to learn and get to know one another. The connections we made in a short amount of time was so special to be a part of.