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'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

Bates celebrates Commencement 2021

By Bates College

June 4^th, 2021

On a breezy bluebird May day, the Bates Class of 2021 celebrated an in-person Commencement and all the comforts of its familiar rituals, including words of wisdom and love.

After a year’s absence, the in-person ceremony returned to its familiar stage, the Coram Library Terrace, in front of physically distanced seniors, family, friends, faculty, and staff seated on the Historic Quad.

Baseball great Ernie Banks once said, “Let’s play two.” To achieve physical distancing, Bates did just that, hosting a Commencement doubleheader, two ceremonies on the Historic Quad, one at 9 a.m. and one at 3 p.m.

And as honorary degree recipient Vanessa German said, it was a day where "gems of love and gems of deep endurance" sparkled and shone brightly.

Seeing is Believing

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

“There will always be something extra special about the Class of 2021, all that you went through together and the trust you placed in each other and in the college.”

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

“Whatever comes next for each of you, you’ll undoubtedly take with you the lesson that struck me most from the past year: We truly never know what’s coming.”

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

“There is so much subtle, generative, creative, powerful information swimming around us all the time. And inside of that powerful, magical information are gems of love and gems of deep endurance that are for us.”

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

“I believe in karma. If you do good work, then good things will happen to you. So I wish all of you graduates the best of luck in doing something about the state of our home planet.”

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

“In the future, when someone asks you about the challenges you’ve faced in your life, you may think of this last year, not with sorrow alone but also with pride and revelation.”

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

“May you feel in your soul all that you have gained and all that you have added to this place.”

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

Senior Speaker Nicole Kumbula ’21

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

“My professors believed in me even in times when I did not believe in myself. They helped me figure out how to ask for help, and know it is OK to ask for help. All my mentors made me realize I actually deserve to be here.”

Senior Speaker Munashe Machoko ’21

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

“I know that whatever I might be going through, no matter how unfamiliar, I will certainly figure it out, and so will each and every one of my graduating peers here with me today.”

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

“Find those people who can give you the ideas and the inspiration to get up off of the floor, who don’t ask, ‘Why are you down there?’ but just say, ‘Come on, I was down there yesterday, let’s figure out what we’re going to do together.’”

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

“As you go forward into the world, think every day about inhabiting the fullness of the miracle of your humanity with as much wisdom and guts and honesty and heart and body and soul as you can muster.”

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

From Head to Toe

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

“I find comfort in living in contradiction, accepting that I definitely don’t know what’s coming, and hoping to meet others and myself with grace, as we all continue to navigate the nonstop project of learning that comes with being human and alive.”

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

“You have learned some hard lessons that may stick with you longer than the things we thought we were here to teach you and that you thought you came here to learn. But I hope that you have gained in good ways, as well, from these experiences.”

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

Crossing the Stage

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

“We have been reminded that our fates are intertwined with those of billions of others on this small planet we inhabit together, and national borders are meaningless in the face of a viral foe.”

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

“May you sense in your bones the resilience and courage that has nestled inside of you in your time here. May you know in your heart that this is a home you can always return to.”

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

'Gems of Love, Gems of Endurance'

Footnotes

Produced by the Bates Communications Office with photography by Phyllis Graber Jensen and Theophil Syslo

FootNotes

Produced by the Bates Communications Office with photography by Phyllis Graber Jensen and Theophil Syslo

© 2026 Bates College

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