Rachael Acker will graduate later this month as one of the most highly decorated Golden Bears on both the academic and athletic fronts.

And while her many accolades were earned through diligence and drive, one that perhaps surprised the Golden Bear swimmer the most came in an email she received just before the NCAA Championships earlier this spring. While in a van ride with teammates before the meet in Atlanta, she opened a message that began with “Congratulations.”

Not one to assume what followed, Acker read and re-read the email to be certain. Duly confirmed, she learned that she had been awarded a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship. Acker screamed with excitement and was quickly joined by her teammates who shared in her joy.

Acker will use the award to study at the University of Rennes in France for 10 months, beginning this summer. She plans to work in a biology lab and take several master's courses in the field in preparation for going to medical school the following year.

At Cal, Acker has majored in French and accumulated over a 3.95 GPA. She is completing her Berkeley education on a premed track and, in addition to her time committed to swimming, has spent many hours conducting research in the Heald Lab within the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology.

“The amount of support that I've gotten while I've been here has been incredible,” Acker said of her Cal experience. “I feel like there are so many people – professors, mentors, people who I work with in the lab, my teammates, my coaches – who believe in me and want me to succeed. It's just a place where people are allowed to be their best.”

Acker's focus in the classroom has led to an abundance of honors that includes being one of five finalists for the University Medal, which is presented annually to the most distinguished graduating senior on the UC Berkeley campus.

Among her other awards, Acker was named the 2016 Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year for women's swimming & diving, received the Neufeld Award for having the highest GPA among Cal's graduating female student-athletes and will sit on the main stage during graduation ceremonies at Memorial Stadium Saturday as the winner of the athletic department's Anna Espenschade Award for best exemplifying Golden Bear spirit.

In the pool, Acker captured the Pac-12 title in the 200-yard freestyle as a freshman and was part of the 800 free relay that won the national crown her sophomore year. She helped the Bears finish among the top three at the NCAA Championships each of her four years with the program, including a national team title her junior season in 2015.

“Academics has always played a very important role,” Acker said. “My parents encouraged my sister and me to love learning. I think I understood at a very early age that I liked going to school. That played a big role in my decision to come to Cal. It provided a unique balance of world-class academics and world-class athletics. My athletic career is also very important to me and it's been an incredible four years at Cal. My academic experience will be with me forever, but I can't be an athlete forever. I can carry my academic experience with me throughout my life.”