Ally you have grown in so many ways at Bates that it is difficult to choose one moment. You began your career at Bates nervous about leaving home and your high school friends, worried that you would have difficulty making new friendships. You bonded almost right away with your field hockey teammates, many of whom will likely remain life-long friends; and then fostered new friendships through classes, living situations, and, of course, through ice hockey where you also developed one of your strongest, dearest friendships. Seeing you grow and create these new relationships was very rewarding as a parent. You have also grown tremendously in your academics, from your writing and other skills to your general curiosity and analytical abilities, one of the great rewards of a liberal arts education. Watching your struggle with a season ending field hockey injury during your junior season to persevere, and ensure your return to the playing field for her senior fall, while at the same time traveling abroad for your junior spring, participating in a program with no one else you knew at the time, again, having a wonderful experience and growing tremendously has been very rewarding as a parent. As parents we are also inspired by the way the senior class bonded together and made the best of a very difficult situation this spring, engaging in class-wide “senior week” like events which you organized on your own, remaining positive despite your senior spring being cut short. We are extremely proud to see you graduate and move forward in your next pursuits, and are also grateful for the wonderful experience you enjoyed at Bates, and can truly say through seeing the love you developed for Bates and the Bates’ community that this was the right choice of schools for you, one that will remain with you throughout the rest of her life. We also thank everyone at Bates that has enriched this experience for you, Ally! Love, Mom and Dad