From local heroes to global advocates, with concern for creatures large and small, the incoming Class of 2028 brings to Bates a heaping helping of talents, achievements, and successes.
Selected from a record 10,029 applications, the new class of 491 students comes from 38 U.S. states plus Washington, D.C., and 29 countries outside the U.S.
The new students are entrepreneurial-minded: Some three dozen have experience founding organizations, clubs, or businesses: a biology tutoring gig, an eatery offering Pakistani comfort food, and a school club teaching students about taxes.
The new students have good cents: One is a budding numismatist with expertise in worldwide coins. And, success is in the cards: One is as a buyer and seller of sports memorabilia and trading cards.
Bates offers 31 varsity sports; the new class brings a few more sports: polo, boxing, fencing, figure skating, luge, and mountain biking.
The humanities and arts are well-represented: music (jazz saxophonist, opera singer, and marching band percussion leader), dance (ballet performer and choreographer), theater (improv), and creative writing (published poets and fiction authors).
And, of course, there’s academic curiosity — bioinformatics and environmental chemistry to public health and economics — and community engagement, whether building homes in Peru, raising funds for earthquake victims, or guiding athletes in adaptive sports.
The new class includes students who have:
- Advocated for ending the practice of early marriage in Bangladesh, stopping 456 such marriages.
- Served as president of a veterans appreciation club and interned with a veterans group to raise awareness about wounded veterans who do not receive dental benefits.
- As an animal-rights activist in Russia, helped to create a distinctive dog-socialization program to rehome 900 dogs to six countries.
- Helped scientists study Atlantic Ocean tuna to help with conservation efforts.
- Organized a Queer Ball and other events supporting LGBTQ+ students.
- Tutored Afghan girls barred from school by the Taliban.
- Volunteered as a driver for Meals on Wheels.
- Completed an Eagle Scout project to design and install a destination trail for people on the visual ability spectrum with interpretive text, braille, and QR audio web interface.
- Started a program for senior citizens to adopt kittens from local shelters.
- Founded a lacrosse re-stringing business.
- Co-founded two podcasts focused on women in male-dominated career fields.
- Developed an augmented reality app for children’s books.
- Founded a club teaching students about taxes.
- Run a pet-portrait photography business.
- Researched scallop populations and climate change.
- Conducted independent research on Black maternal mortality.
- Researched the impacts of climate change on coral reefs.
- Interned at a sustainable seaweed farming company.
- Worked as wildlife rehabilitator in New York state.
- Cultivated a pollinator garden at school.
- Volunteered to categorize fossils for the Field Museum of Science and Natural History from Hell’s Creek, Montana.
- Sang lead alto in the Beijing Philharmonic Choir.
- Played lead trumpet in the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra.
- Staged a photography exhibit depicting life in rural Maine.
- Earned honors from First Lady Jill Biden at the White House for her environmental advocacy, joining other “Girls Leading Change.”
- Founded and led the town library’s book club.
- Experienced ice, rock, and mixed climber.
- Pioneered as the first female wrestling captain at school.
- Been the only girl on the school’s varsity football team.
- Been a chicken caretaker and member of town’s backyard chicken advisory committee.
- Earned a grand champion award for their steer at a Future Farmers of America show.
- Served as lead builder on an internationally competitive robotics team.
- Worked as a barista at a café supporting social inclusion of neurodiverse individuals.
- Been a YouTuber with 30,000-plus views on flight reviews and model aircraft.
Categories Creativity Student Life
