Katie A. Burke, from Canton, Massachusetts – “At most other schools you could walk around and see at each table a student who is an outstanding athlete, a civil rights advocate, a leader of a club, a class officer, perhaps someone who is outstanding at the performing arts. Here at Bates they are one and the same people. All the people who are here today and all the people who are graduating with our class have so many facets to their Bates experience and have offered so much to the college and to their community.”