Casey P. Saenger, from Newark, Delaware – “When I first came to Bates, the first thing I noticed was an immediate sense of community. As a pre-frosh walking around campus, I found people I had never met saying hello to me. That was very comforting. I am proud to say that as I continued through my Bates career, I found that sense of community continued: on the swim team, in the geology department, in musical groups and all over. That was one of the most valuable aspects of Bates. Specifically, in the geology department during senior thesis work, I felt a strong bond with fellow geology majors, and also geology faculty, to the point where I can consider them some of my best friends.”