This feature originally appeared in the Summer edition of the Cal Sports Quarterly. The Cal Athletics flagship magazine features long-form sports journalism at its finest and provides in-depth coverage of the scholar-athlete experience in Berkeley. Printed copies are mailed four times a year to Bear Backers who give annually at the Bear Club level (currently $600 or more). For more information on how you can receive a printed version of the Cal Sports Quarterly at home, send an email to CalAthleticsFund@berkeley.edu or call (510) 642-2427.



Eliza Christman spent her years in collegiate lacrosse playing all over the field, contributing on the both offensive and defensive ends. Off the turf, she maintained the same mindset, building her résumé through multiple – and vastly different – career-building endeavors.
 
During her time at Cal, Christman enjoyed internships working with published articles, website design, content strategy, and also studied abroad and worked in photography for the Daily Californian.
 
"I was never someone who had an intense passion for one single career path," Christman said. "However, I've always been adamant about pursuing something I love. When looking at past internships, it took me a few years and a few different experiences ranging from financial advising to producing editorial content to discover what really interests me."
 
As part of the production department at the Daily Cal, Christman completed photography assignments and photo editing for the newspaper's INK Creative team. She also had the chance to contribute to overall creative strategy and content development.
 
In addition to observing editorial processes, Christman wrote two articles that were published in the arts and entertainment periodical, Motif Magazine, including one that examined social issues surrounding the building of a facility for a multinational gas and electric company in Providence, R.I.
 
Christman also invested her efforts in a financial technology startup company run out of the owner's basement, as well as designing a website for the medical company, Apple Rehabilitation Center. She added assistance with advertising, mixed media marketing and event planning for Apple Rehab, too.
 
"My interests could change 100 more times throughout the course of my career post-graduation,"
 
Christman said. "Cal has given me the confidence to pursue new opportunities however frightening they may seem, as well as the drive to apply myself in situations where I have room to learn."
 
Not long after arriving in Berkeley, Christman learned that the combination of athletics and academics at Cal gives student-athletes the means to push themselves in all areas of life. Where she differed from the majority of her fellow students was that she didn't stress over clinching the most prestigious internship in the hopes of landing a dream job immediately after college.
 
Instead, Christman took advantage of her opportunity at Cal by trying as many different experiences as possible, even internationally. In the summer of 2018, Christman jumped at the chance to study abroad and hopped on a plane to Spain.
 
Taking a course in order to fulfill her foreign language requirement, the lessons learned about independence in an unfamiliar environment proved to be just as fruitful for Christman's growth.
 
"My favorite part of the five-week program was transitioning from feeling tentative to completely confident that I was a small piece of the framework of daily life in Madrid," Christman said. "It was really important to me that I take advantage of a situation less comfortable than that of taking the same class in Berkeley over the summer, and I couldn't be happier that I did."
 
After graduating in May with her degree in political economy, Christman, a native of Simsbury, Conn., isn't sure which direction she's headed next, other than returning to the East Coast. Thanks to her rewarding experiences at Cal, she has plenty of options.