Submitted by Bates College

Maya Haber, of Lopez Island, Washington, graduated after majoring in environmental studies and minoring in Spanish at Bates. Haber, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon R. Haber of Lopez Island, is a 2013 graduate of Lopez High School.

Bates College graduated 473 students from 39 states and 42 countries on May 27, 2018. Cumulatively, the class of 2018 performed 82,000 hours of community service, exemplifying Bates’ commitment to community learning and civic action.

Acclaimed human rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson, whose work has brought greater equality to the U.S. criminal justice system, delivered the address at Bates’ 152nd commencement ceremony. In his speech, Stevenson told the graduating class, “Your hope is your superpower. Hope is what will get you to stand up sometimes when other people say, ‘Sit down.’ Hope is what will get you to speak when other people say, ‘Be quiet.’ I believe that hopelessness is the enemy of justice, and injustice prevails where hopelessness persists.”

Stevenson was joined by fellow honorands award-winning photojournalist, Lynsey Addario, Doctor of Humane Letters; Jill Lepore, historian and New Yorker writer, Doctor of Humane Letters; and Bob Ludwig, Grammy Award-winning mastering engineer, Doctor of Music.

Located in Lewiston, Maine, Bates is internationally recognized as a leading college of the liberal arts, attracting 2,000 students from across the United States and around the world. Since 1855, Bates has been dedicated to educating the whole person through creative and rigorous scholarship in a collaborative residential community.

With a commitment to affordability, Bates has always admitted students without regard to gender, race, religion or national origin. Cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action, Bates prepares leaders sustained by a love of learning and zeal for responsible stewardship of the wider world.