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From the ITA Award to the ACE Program: Meible Chi’s Duke Career
2/11/2021 9:27:00 AM | Women's Tennis
By Lily Hiser, Duke Communications Student Assistant
DURHAM, N.C.-- When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many student-athletes were forced to stop their final seasons halfway, drawing an important chapter in their lives closed in an unsatisfying way. Women's tennis student-athlete Meible Chi was among this group of seniors, disappointed that her tennis collegiate career had appeared to end without the possibility of another National Championship attempt. So, when the coaching staff approached her about the possibility of playing for a fifth year, Chi jumped at the chance to not only pursue a graduate degree at Duke, but also to have another shot at finishing her final season.
"Although it was the ability to get a Master's degree, I think for me the biggest draw was to be able to come back and finish on my own terms … and really kind of contribute to my team in a meaningful way and finish the way that we want to rather than what external circumstances have given us," remarked Chi. "As I've gone through this graduate program, I've definitely found even more reasons to be appreciative of this opportunity and being able to be here for another year."
Chi has notched impressive marks in her career to date. Her 112 career wins rank her 12th all time at Duke in this category. In the 2019-20 season, Chi went 17-3 overall, keeping a perfect record in both dual (11-0) and ACC (3-0) matches. She reached a rank of No. 15 during this season and was also nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year.
Chi also received the ITA Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award in 2020, making her the first student-athlete in Duke women's tennis history to do so. This award is presented to those student-athletes who demonstrate excellent sportsmanship and leadership in their careers and have notched tennis, scholastic, and extracurricular achievements. Chi was nominated for this award by head coach Jamie Ashworth and she credits her success to the support of her teammates and coaches throughout her career. For Chi, winning this award was a humbling and powerful experience and she is grateful to be nationally recognized for her leadership and sportsmanship abilities.
"The fact that I have the support of my coach and my teammates to even be eligible for that award really means a lot," remarked Chi. "I just feel grateful for being in such a good program that allowed me to have a meaningful contribution. It was nice to get that acknowledgement from them."
These innate leadership qualities are part of what drove Chi to pursue a Master of Management Studies at Duke's Fuqua School of Business. The program is designed to teach students about the fundamentals of business, such as finance and accounting, while also developing their leadership and management abilities.
"For me, the reason I wanted to do it was the aspect of learning how to become a better team player, a better team leader when necessary," explained Chi. "For me, who wants to go into the medical field, I think that it's really important to have that ability and skillset in that industry as well."
Fuqua is known for its emphasis on teamwork, and much of Chi's program revolves around collaborative team projects. For Chi, who has spent her career at Duke as an excellent member of the Duke women's tennis team, the lessons and skills she has developed on the tennis court have prepared her well for this graduate program and her future journey in medical school.
"From tennis, the biggest thing I've learned is to enjoy the process, even though sometimes you might lose the overarching goal or objective, but that's been one of my biggest reasons to get into the medical field," explained Chi. "A lot of the day-to-day work, sometimes you get caught up in it, but ultimately at the end of the day you're changing someone's life for the better, or you're trying to help them do it themselves. Really that perseverance has helped me really want to be part of a team that can do that, and especially college tennis has helped me really appreciate that team aspect more."
After finishing her time at Duke, Chi will be working as a research assistant for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in a research lab focusing on metabolism and energy expenditure. She then plans to go to medical school, with the ultimate goal of becoming a practicing physician.
For any pre-med student, navigating a college career to prepare for medical school is a difficult task, but for Chi and other pre-med student-athletes, their packed schedules and commitment to their sports can make it even more difficult. During her time at Duke, Chi was a part of the CAPE and ACE programs, both of which had a significant impact on her success, personal development, and her ability to achieve her ultimate goal of going to medical school.
CAPE (Collegiate Athlete Pre-Medical Experience) is a program designed specifically for female student-athletes at Duke, who plan on pursuing a career in Medicine. Throughout the year, doctors from Duke Hospital, as well as visiting doctors, come into the program to share their experiences. It gives the student-athletes a behind-the-scenes look at their future careers, and it also provides mentorship opportunities and academic support.
"Being in a community that really supports us has been incredible because as a student-athlete, a lot of times we hear our classmates talk about their plans from freshman year to senior year exactly what they are going to do, what grades they will get, what programs they will apply to," stated Chi. "Having CAPE support me through trying to schedule my classes every semester based on my practice schedule [and] just having that sense of support and security has really shaped the way I've experienced Duke and college in general."
Another experience which shaped Chi's Duke career was her involvement with the ACE (Student-Athlete Civic Engagement) Program. This program is a collaborative effort between student-athletes at Duke and Stanford University designed to provide the opportunity for immersive civic engagement and study abroad. Chi was accepted into this program during the summer of 2018, and she traveled to China in a cohort of nine other student-athletes. While abroad, the team had to work together to contribute to the organization they were working with. After finishing this program, Chi described how it changed her perspective on her life and her approach to everyday tasks. It helped increase her self-confidence and gave her the opportunity to grow and develop her voice. ACE was so impactful on her Duke career that she became an ambassador for the program, where she helps guide potential ACE participants on the journey.
"I definitely, after doing that program, have had a desire to really step up and try to make a difference in my life and try to help people in any way that I could, either just through listening to my teammates or trying to lead them when we're in a match," explained Chi. "I actually became an ambassador for [ACE] and have become a lot more vocal."
As Chi finishes up her Duke career, with so many accomplishments already under her belt, and looks forward to her next steps, she is taking time right now to enjoy the little things and appreciate life as it comes.
"These next few months, I'm looking forward to the next match that we have, because you never know when it could be our last," remarked Chi. "For me, I've just been really trying to enjoy looking forward to that next dual match that we have."
#GoDuke
DURHAM, N.C.-- When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many student-athletes were forced to stop their final seasons halfway, drawing an important chapter in their lives closed in an unsatisfying way. Women's tennis student-athlete Meible Chi was among this group of seniors, disappointed that her tennis collegiate career had appeared to end without the possibility of another National Championship attempt. So, when the coaching staff approached her about the possibility of playing for a fifth year, Chi jumped at the chance to not only pursue a graduate degree at Duke, but also to have another shot at finishing her final season.
"Although it was the ability to get a Master's degree, I think for me the biggest draw was to be able to come back and finish on my own terms … and really kind of contribute to my team in a meaningful way and finish the way that we want to rather than what external circumstances have given us," remarked Chi. "As I've gone through this graduate program, I've definitely found even more reasons to be appreciative of this opportunity and being able to be here for another year."
Chi has notched impressive marks in her career to date. Her 112 career wins rank her 12th all time at Duke in this category. In the 2019-20 season, Chi went 17-3 overall, keeping a perfect record in both dual (11-0) and ACC (3-0) matches. She reached a rank of No. 15 during this season and was also nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year.
Chi also received the ITA Arthur Ashe Jr. Leadership and Sportsmanship Award in 2020, making her the first student-athlete in Duke women's tennis history to do so. This award is presented to those student-athletes who demonstrate excellent sportsmanship and leadership in their careers and have notched tennis, scholastic, and extracurricular achievements. Chi was nominated for this award by head coach Jamie Ashworth and she credits her success to the support of her teammates and coaches throughout her career. For Chi, winning this award was a humbling and powerful experience and she is grateful to be nationally recognized for her leadership and sportsmanship abilities.
"The fact that I have the support of my coach and my teammates to even be eligible for that award really means a lot," remarked Chi. "I just feel grateful for being in such a good program that allowed me to have a meaningful contribution. It was nice to get that acknowledgement from them."
These innate leadership qualities are part of what drove Chi to pursue a Master of Management Studies at Duke's Fuqua School of Business. The program is designed to teach students about the fundamentals of business, such as finance and accounting, while also developing their leadership and management abilities.
"For me, the reason I wanted to do it was the aspect of learning how to become a better team player, a better team leader when necessary," explained Chi. "For me, who wants to go into the medical field, I think that it's really important to have that ability and skillset in that industry as well."
Fuqua is known for its emphasis on teamwork, and much of Chi's program revolves around collaborative team projects. For Chi, who has spent her career at Duke as an excellent member of the Duke women's tennis team, the lessons and skills she has developed on the tennis court have prepared her well for this graduate program and her future journey in medical school.
"From tennis, the biggest thing I've learned is to enjoy the process, even though sometimes you might lose the overarching goal or objective, but that's been one of my biggest reasons to get into the medical field," explained Chi. "A lot of the day-to-day work, sometimes you get caught up in it, but ultimately at the end of the day you're changing someone's life for the better, or you're trying to help them do it themselves. Really that perseverance has helped me really want to be part of a team that can do that, and especially college tennis has helped me really appreciate that team aspect more."
After finishing her time at Duke, Chi will be working as a research assistant for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in a research lab focusing on metabolism and energy expenditure. She then plans to go to medical school, with the ultimate goal of becoming a practicing physician.
For any pre-med student, navigating a college career to prepare for medical school is a difficult task, but for Chi and other pre-med student-athletes, their packed schedules and commitment to their sports can make it even more difficult. During her time at Duke, Chi was a part of the CAPE and ACE programs, both of which had a significant impact on her success, personal development, and her ability to achieve her ultimate goal of going to medical school.
CAPE (Collegiate Athlete Pre-Medical Experience) is a program designed specifically for female student-athletes at Duke, who plan on pursuing a career in Medicine. Throughout the year, doctors from Duke Hospital, as well as visiting doctors, come into the program to share their experiences. It gives the student-athletes a behind-the-scenes look at their future careers, and it also provides mentorship opportunities and academic support.
"Being in a community that really supports us has been incredible because as a student-athlete, a lot of times we hear our classmates talk about their plans from freshman year to senior year exactly what they are going to do, what grades they will get, what programs they will apply to," stated Chi. "Having CAPE support me through trying to schedule my classes every semester based on my practice schedule [and] just having that sense of support and security has really shaped the way I've experienced Duke and college in general."
Another experience which shaped Chi's Duke career was her involvement with the ACE (Student-Athlete Civic Engagement) Program. This program is a collaborative effort between student-athletes at Duke and Stanford University designed to provide the opportunity for immersive civic engagement and study abroad. Chi was accepted into this program during the summer of 2018, and she traveled to China in a cohort of nine other student-athletes. While abroad, the team had to work together to contribute to the organization they were working with. After finishing this program, Chi described how it changed her perspective on her life and her approach to everyday tasks. It helped increase her self-confidence and gave her the opportunity to grow and develop her voice. ACE was so impactful on her Duke career that she became an ambassador for the program, where she helps guide potential ACE participants on the journey.
"I definitely, after doing that program, have had a desire to really step up and try to make a difference in my life and try to help people in any way that I could, either just through listening to my teammates or trying to lead them when we're in a match," explained Chi. "I actually became an ambassador for [ACE] and have become a lot more vocal."
As Chi finishes up her Duke career, with so many accomplishments already under her belt, and looks forward to her next steps, she is taking time right now to enjoy the little things and appreciate life as it comes.
"These next few months, I'm looking forward to the next match that we have, because you never know when it could be our last," remarked Chi. "For me, I've just been really trying to enjoy looking forward to that next dual match that we have."
#GoDuke
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