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ACE in South Africa: Final Blog Posts
8/14/2023 3:19:00 PM | Rowing, Swimming & Diving, Athletics
DURHAM – With the 2023 ACE Program complete, student-athletes who participated in ACE in South Africa shared their final reflection blog posts on their summer experiences.
ACE IN SOUTH AFRIDA
The Unforgettable Three Weeks in South Africa
Mary Claire Morrison, Rowing
"The most striking and most impactful lesson that I learned from my time in South Africa is that happiness does not take much to give but it can do so much. Every single day, every kid that we would meet would run up to us with huge smiles on their face excited to see us another day. The instant an ACE kid was greeted with a smile or hug, I watched my fellow ACE participants light up with smiles of their own. These infectious smiles continued as we jumped around, sang songs, played games, and made jokes. For those amazing but brief hours each day, every person forgot about their worries in the outside world and was living in the present moment with others sharing in happiness. Happiness was the first and most lasting connection that I made with every experience on my trip to South Africa." Read more.
Thank you, Keith
Michael Volpe, Men's Swimming & Diving
"Gratitude took on a completely new meaning for me on this trip and prompted quite a bit of personal reflection in my spare time. It was always something my mother had stressed to me and my siblings, but this ACE trip gave me a whole new perspective on the world and what it means to feel, express, and live with gratitude. I felt grateful for everything I had grown up taking for granted, from my health and safety to my access to electricity and clean water. I felt grateful that I got to witness picturesque sunsets and enjoy delicious late night ice cream." Read more.
For more information on the ACE Program, visit here.
#GoDuke
ACE IN SOUTH AFRIDA
The Unforgettable Three Weeks in South Africa
Mary Claire Morrison, Rowing
"The most striking and most impactful lesson that I learned from my time in South Africa is that happiness does not take much to give but it can do so much. Every single day, every kid that we would meet would run up to us with huge smiles on their face excited to see us another day. The instant an ACE kid was greeted with a smile or hug, I watched my fellow ACE participants light up with smiles of their own. These infectious smiles continued as we jumped around, sang songs, played games, and made jokes. For those amazing but brief hours each day, every person forgot about their worries in the outside world and was living in the present moment with others sharing in happiness. Happiness was the first and most lasting connection that I made with every experience on my trip to South Africa." Read more.
Thank you, Keith
Michael Volpe, Men's Swimming & Diving
"Gratitude took on a completely new meaning for me on this trip and prompted quite a bit of personal reflection in my spare time. It was always something my mother had stressed to me and my siblings, but this ACE trip gave me a whole new perspective on the world and what it means to feel, express, and live with gratitude. I felt grateful for everything I had grown up taking for granted, from my health and safety to my access to electricity and clean water. I felt grateful that I got to witness picturesque sunsets and enjoy delicious late night ice cream." Read more.
For more information on the ACE Program, visit here.
#GoDuke
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