Riley C. Meidell of Bainbridge Island was one of 482 seniors who graduated from Colby College in Waterville, Maine on May 27, 2018.

Meidell received a bachelor of arts degree at the college’s 197th commencement.

Meidell, who majored in environmental science, attended Bainbridge High School and is the daughter of Kenneth and Sheila Meidell of Bainbridge Island.

U.S. Senator Susan Collins was the guest speaker at commencement.

Sen. Collins spoke to a crowd of more than 3,000 and decried the “era of ever-worsening divisiveness” that threatens the sense of community that has characterized our country.

Within Congress, the 24-hour news cycle, and social media, “hyper-partisanship, insult, intolerance, and accusation are poisoning our discourse, turning us against one another, and preventing us from coming together to solve problems,” she said.

Colby President David A. Greene handed a diploma to each of the graduates.