Gratitude.
 
This has been the one word that I've found myself clinging to this entire semester and season. I'm grateful for the opportunity to attend this university and to be graduating with some of my best friends. I'm grateful that I get to wake up everyday and see my wonderful grandmother with whom I live. And more related to this post, I'm grateful that I get to play this incredible game of softball.
 
Though our season has thus far not gone the way we planned, I've found several silver linings. The first being that our senior class gets to go out with a bang of sorts. Being able to say that we were the last class to graduate at Levine-Fricke Field is kind of cool. In just a few days, we will all play our very last outs at the stadium and the feeling is surreal. Not only are we coming to the close of our collegiate careers, but we are saying goodbye to the place that has been the home of Cal Softball since 1995, the year before I-- the eldest on the team-- was even born.
   
Growing up, I found it such a joy to make the trek up that treacherous hill to Strawberry Canyon to either swim at the neighboring pool or go for a jog on the trail. I'd love stopping in to peak over the center field fence and catch a glimpse of the softball team at practice, just dreaming of one day being able to don those same jerseys and call myself a Golden Bear.
 
There is something so beautiful about the way the sun sets on the canyon, with the trees swaying back and forth creating a scene like something out of a movie. Even with possibly the most wicked sun-balls known to a right fielder, our field is home to arguably the best on the Pac-12 (shout out to our field crew), and it has a character all of its own. Nostalgic sentiments like these are ones that will end here, with our class, as the construction of a whole new field is sure to bring even more hopes, dreams, and memories to current and future Golden Bear softballers. The new stadium will bring lots of change and so many possibilities, but Levine-Fricke will never be forgotten for all that it was for those who got the chance to play here.
 
The second silver lining is kind of a long-winded story but worth it, so bear with me. When I was twelve years old, I began pitching for my local little league team. I had zero aim, but lots of passion and speed. I needed guidance and a pitching coach. At first, no one was really helpful to me, so I began watching college softball on television hoping to gain some knowledge. Luckily, it was May, so playoff softball was in full effect and being televised on ESPN.

One of the games I vividly remember watching was UCLA vs. Georgia. Part of the reason I remember it so vividly was that it was my birthday and I spent around three hours glued to the television. The other reason I recall this game so well is because UCLA had a black pitcher from Northern California throwing for them. Her name was Anjelica Selden and from that moment on, I was enamored with her. She became my idol. While she performed very well in that game (11 K's, 4 hits, 1 earned run), it was just so cool to see a black girl pitching for such a big name school. I wanted to know everything about her, be like her, and most of all, I wanted to meet her. Unfortunately for me, social media wasn't huge back then, and it was her senior season so I wasn't sure how that would happen.
 
Fast forward three years, when my dad came home with the news that we were going to an impromptu pitching lesson. I'd been going to lessons two or three times a week for a couple of years at that point, so this wasn't a surprise to me. I fell asleep on the drive to the facility and when I woke up was confused about where we were. I walked inside and to my surprise, there she was. Anjelica Selden - I was finally meeting her! It all seemed so unreal to me, but that first pitching lesson lead to what is now eight years of coaching and mentorship from her and I could not be more grateful.

While she teaches and reinforces mechanics for speed and movement, her presence is so much more than that. She teaches "mental game" both in and out of softball and I'm lucky to have experienced that for such a vital part of my life. And I know that my teammates feel the same. It is so evident that she cares for us as softball players but mostly as people. The energy and fun spirit that she brings to the team is so refreshing and I'm glad that my teammates and I get to share her in our lives.
 
The third and final silver lining is that I've gotten to play in front of my friends and family for the past three years. I take immense pride in being from Berkeley and I love to put on for my city everyday. I truly have the best of both worlds here. I could not have asked for a better college experience. Ten years after falling madly in love with UC Berkeley, I can say that Cal has taught me more than I could have ever expected.
 
As a sociology student, Cal has helped me explore and dissect different social issues and given me a new perspective on these things as well. As an athlete, Cal has allowed me to compete with and against some of the best athletes in the country. With so many national team members and Olympians training beside you day-by-day it's hard not to strive for excellence. As a young woman, Cal has taught me that my presence is powerful-- that my identity is something to be proud of and has allowed me to create a platform for myself and set a precedent for young girls who look like me-- whether they are short or girls of color… or both. I came into Cal not knowing what was in store but I am leaving with so much more.