Moments That Are Classically Cal
Three UC Berkeley students share fine examples of what it means to be a part of the UC Berkeley community. As you might have seen in the Uniquely Berkeley series, our campus has so much to offer—read on to discover what experiences stood out to these Golden Bears!
Peyton: Exploring Nature
Peyton Li, Class of 2028, reflects on his experience exploring the Fire Trails.
“I went hiking in the Clark Kerr Fire Trails and it feels like something only Berkeley has. I went at sunset and got to watch as the sun went down!”
Peyton’s view from Berkeley’s iconic Fire Trails.
Hitiksha: Meeting Friends & Mentors
Hitiksha Bansal, Class of 2026, shares her experience studying abroad:
“I studied abroad in London last spring semester through the UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP). Through the semester I met one of my closest friends, Ella, a senior studying sociology at Berkeley, and we traveled to so many countries in Europe together; nearly missing flights, backpacking through packed trains, staying in strange hostels, and bonding over our love for Haribo gummies. When we got back to Berkeley this semester, we just started hanging out the same way we did in the last semester. For this year’s Big Game, we got ready together and did the whole festivities together along with our mutual friend from study abroad visiting us, Rachel, from Cornell University. We had an absolute blast at the game and despite when we thought there was a chance we wouldn’t win, we stuck it through and rushed the field at the end. It’s wonderful that over such a short time we have gotten so close and developed such a strong sense of trust.”
Hitiksha poses with friends she met through study abroad!
She also recounts being able to meet her favorite architect through a Berkeley course. “This semester I took an architecture research seminar course with Liz Gálvez, which in many ways was a dream come true for me. I have always been so curious about building with alternative materials such as mud and timber rather than the steel and concrete pushed by standard building notions,” she explains. “I did not know this when I signed up for the course, but we had several interactions with my favorite architect at the moment, Ron Rael. Building architecture out of mud in an academic setting and meeting your favorite architect while doing it is something that I can only see happening at UC Berkeley.”
Ellie: Celebrating the Cal Community
Ellie Clark, Class of 2028, appreciates Berkeley students’ willingness to connect with one another.
“I really love Berkeley’s sense of community. I think this school is known as very academically competitive, which is true, but there are many people here who are supportive. It’s nice to find that sense of community and support.”
She also partakes in Cal’s culture of school spirit: “I rushed the field after we won our Big Game!”
Ellie celebrated with fellow Golden Bears after the Big Game!
What’s Your Very UC Berkeley Story?
Whether it’s opening the window to scream every midnight of RRR week or posting about the latest Oski sighting on Instagram, each student’s UC Berkeley experience is shaped by these unique quirks of our beloved campus. What are the best Very UC Berkeley moments you’ve experienced so far?
Reva Gokhale, Class of 2027, is majoring in Environmental Economics and Policy.
Want More?
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