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Bearlights

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Emi

Lawson

Position:

 Center Back 

Grad Year:

 2013 

Major:

 Political Science & Legal Studies 

Favorite Berkeley Eats:

 Breakfast Burritos from Intermezzo & Artichoke Pizza  

Favorite Study Spot at Cal:

 Zeb Café 

Favorite Watering Hole While at Cal:

 Freehouse 

Favorite Cal Soccer Memory:

 Team trip to Costa Rica & Beating Stanford senior year 

Emi and I tried to schedule a time for me to “interview” her over the phone, but every time we managed to briefly connect (she’s a kick-ass lawyer and I’m relocating back to the Bay from DC), we just fell into laughing about all the weird ways I could write her bio. We were split between a dialogue with her younger self, or a flashback from her reincarnated animal self. To be clear, I proposed doing something unique but she came up with all the good ideas. Well, since I’m not as awesomely creative as she is, all y’all will get here is my personal perspective of this badass Bear...

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Emi was an incredible teammate. She held everyone to a high standard. She made other people want to work, want to give their best. As a player and a captain, she was intense. Some would even say scary. Everyone would say badass. She played almost every minute of our whole four years at center-back, where the pressure to perform is real, and she handled it with grace.

 

When we first met I felt like she was a grown up. She walked tall and held her head high. Everyone respected her instantly. She didn’t seem nervous about doing fitness next to the seniors (Alex included). She already knew how to write an excellent five-page paper. She was so much wiser than me, than all of us really. She knew who she was, and she very rarely stooped to the low levels that the rest of us did. She knew what she wanted, and she was unapologetic about staying in on a Friday night to catch up on Scandal. She owned her grandma-ness while still being very cool and a ton of fun to be with: there’s lots of singing, dancing, and laughing with Emi Lawson around!

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Choosing the legal route is obviously extremely challenging, and yet she’s handling that with grace as well. After finishing law school at Columbia in NYC, she moved to Texas for a clerkship with a federal judge. Then, in the fall of 2020, she started working at a law firm in Houston. She is finding ways to enjoy her time in Texas: dancing salsa, going to the theater, adventuring outdoors with friends! If I’m lucky, she’ll move back to the West Coast one day and we’ll reunite at Goldman Stadium to cheer on the next generations of badass Bears!

Written By: Emily Kruger  '13

Like many others, when I think of Emi I think: drive, independence, intelligence and beauty. But I also think: homebody, nature-lover, total ham, game-master, concert-goer, multiple pillow-needer, storyteller, world-watcher. 

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Can wear the hell out of a dress or jeans or a pantsuit or soccer kit. Loyal and thoughtful. The best heckler I've ever seen. Shit talker. Truth teller.

 

Dignified with juuust the right amount of self-deprecation. Never too cool to embrace her inner child. Always on that belt Disney medleys on BART, learn Beyoncé choreography for 3 hours kinda vibe.

 

Emi is the friend who makes you hold yourself to a higher standard, without taking yourself too seriously.

 

I will always just have one question for you...'can I live?!' "

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  Lauren Battung  '12 

Woman Writing

Emi’s achievements both on and off the field need no mention – she is undoubtedly a superstar.  She is a fearless leader and an uncanny competitor, with a profound sense of wisdom.  What sets Emi apart, however, is her rare display of authenticity, humility, and self-awareness.  One would be hard-pressed to find a person who isn’t better for knowing Emi.

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  Kat Messinger  '13 

 Emi is the embodiment of a leader. She was someone who I wanted to emulate all throughout college and still to this day. She is a boss with the biggest heart and her advice was what I cherished the most. I probably didn’t tell her this enough but she was my rock throughout college and kept me level headed and grounded more times than I can remember. When I look back on our friendship, it’s filled with laughter and fond memories. If there would be more people like Emi around, the world would have a lot more light.

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  Genessee Daughetee  '13 

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