Clio Hancock, former captain of Emory Swimming and Diving team
A little over a month ago, I swam my last race as an Emory University swimmer. It was the emotional and long-overdue NCAA Championships, the culmination of all the hard work the team put in over the last two years. I was swimming the second leg of the 800 freestyle relay, an event rich in history for Emory’s women’s swimming and diving team. As we walked out of the ready room, I was met with a roaring crowd and booming music. I looked up to see alumni and family waving in the stands and across the pool at my teammates and coaches. All of the clamor disappeared when I hit the water and suddenly, I was surrounded by the familiar quiet coolness of the pool. In that moment, I could register two main feelings: the fizz of excited nerves and a deep sense of gratitude. These two feelings perfectly encapsulated the way that I feel about my four years at Emory.
When I came to this campus four years ago, I promised myself that I would try things that scared me a little. Throughout my college experience, I’ve held myself to this promise, and as a result have seen both unparalleled opportunities and tremendous challenges. Every time I have encountered something that makes my heart rate spike – swimming on an All-American relay, enrolling in classes with titles like “Quantum Mechanics” and “Fieldwork into Performance,” writing an honors thesis or captaining a swim team – the only choice I have is to dive in headfirst. But, like a relay, taking on these challenges cannot be done alone.
Emory presents the perfect environment to take risks because someone will always help you to your feet when you fall. As a freshman, I often felt isolated and alone. But the past four years have shown me that people here are eager to connect. I have been surrounded by friends who bring kind words and ice cream, professors who contribute thoughtful advice during office hours and coaches who believe in me practice after practice. Without these people, I would not have been able to fail, to try again and to grow.
The support and mentorship I have felt is just one piece of my Emory experience that I am grateful for. Across four years, through good and bad days on campus and through a pandemic, I have felt deeply thankful for Atlanta’s golden hours and campus sunsets, for all the nerdy, passionate and fun friends I have made here (shoutout to the Supportive Chem Girl Queens) and for the opportunity to pursue my passions in the classroom and in the pool. It has meant the world to be part of the Emory community, and I’m grateful that I will soon be able to call this place my alma mater and join a network of supportive and engaged alumni.
Once my outstretched hand hit the wall and the next swimmer dove in, my Emory swim career was over. But the job wasn’t finished. Before I could catch my breath, I was out of the water and cheering on the rest of the relay. My experience at Emory may be coming to a close, but I look forward to taking the lessons I’ve learned here into the future, which brings new challenges and opportunities. But most importantly, I will always be an Emory Eagle and will be cheering on each and every one of you as you all learn and grow through your time at Emory.
Clio Hancock is from Evanston, Illinois. She was captain of the swim and dive team, a Chemistry 150/202 Learning Assistant and a member of the Conn Lab. After graduation, she plans to move to Denver to work as a consultant with McKinsey & Co.
