When Cal hosts Stanford in their annual dual meet on Saturday at Spieker Aquatics Complex, five Golden Bear seniors will be competing in Berkeley for the final time – Amy Bilquist, Alexa Cacao, Jenna Campbell, Phoebe LaMay and Katie McLaughlin. Together, they have helped Cal to a trio of top-3 NCAA finishes in the pool, and each has earned Pac-12 All-Academic honors for work in the classroom.
 
As the Bears head into the weekend, they shared their thoughts on their Cal experience as if a reporter asked for a summary of their Golden Bear careers. While they individually have taken their own unique journeys from freshman to senior year, they all express thanks for their personal growth that a Cal experience and education brings.
 
Amy Bilquist
Summarizing my Cal experience in one paragraph is like explaining how you became the person you are in 10 seconds. Cal has been the most revolutionary period of my life; I grew in every single aspect. I became a better athlete, a better student, a better daughter, a better friend, a better leader, and the list goes on. While becoming the best version of you is not always easy, being surrounded by 20-plus exceptional and supportive women, who I am lucky enough to call my teammates, has helped me become the person I am today. I am thankful every single day for the opportunities I have been afforded in the classroom and in the pool at Cal, but I am most thankful for my teammates and the memories I have formed with them over my four years. Ultimately, I would describe my Cal experience as too short. I will miss this team more than words can even express, but I will always be thankful for my time here, and will forever be a Golden Bear!
 
Alexa Cacao
If a reporter asked me to sum up my Cal experience, words would not be able to encompass the gratitude and love I have for this university, its women's swim and dive team, and the Cal community as a whole. From the very first day that I, a little 5-foot-2 transfer, walked onto the Berkeley campus filled with big academic and athletic names, I have felt like a valuable member of Cal. The spring of 2017 felt like a coming home of sorts and ever since then, I have made incredible memories with my teammates by my side. Cal forces you to confront yourself and your aspirations. In doing so, this experience set me up to be proud of the hard work I devoted on and off the pool deck and has prepared me to go off into the "real world." As I close out my final semester as a Golden Bear, I hope to have left my mark and join the throng of notable Cal alumni.
 
Jenna Campbell
It is the hardest thing I've ever done, and also the most rewarding. My time at Cal has challenged me more than I would have ever thought. The standards this team has for each other are at a level that I haven't seen anywhere else. At Cal, I have learned so much more than just how to swim back and forth in a pool. I have learned to foster relationships, to persevere through challenges, to balance the demands of a top-tier institution. Most importantly, however, I have learned how to learn. And that lesson certainly serves to empower. I am a stronger and more confident woman because of my time here, and I know going on into the next chapter of my life I am well prepared for the challenges I will face.
 
Phoebe LaMay
If a reporter were to ask me to sum up my Cal experience I would say I had the most unique college experience. Moving from Texas to California was defiantly a culture shock, both politically and socially. Since my freshman year, I feel that I have grown tremendously as an individual. I have made lifelong friendships with diverse groups of people that have helped me grow as a student and athlete. My team became my family, as we have built memories that will always stay with me. Having to balance being a student and athlete has really shown me what I am capable of achieving. I would not be where I am today without the support from Cal athletics, family and friends.
 
Katie McLaughlin
If a reporter were to ask me about my Cal experience, I would have a hard time summing it up in just a minute or two! My experience here at Cal has been so meaningful and rewarding. There are so many people and experiences that have positively impacted my past four years in Berkeley. By being challenged in many different ways, I have had the opportunity to grow into a better person in every area of my life. I am so lucky to be surrounded by excellence every day. It is not an exaggeration to say that everybody I am surrounded by – my coaches, teammates and friends – all want to be the best that they can be, and that kind of spirit is infectious. I would not change or trade the experience I have had as a Golden Bear for anything. The friendships, lessons and experiences I have attained over the past few years will stick with me for the rest of my life. I am so lucky to have had this experience as a student-athlete here at Cal ... but we are not done yet! Go Bears!