BAR HARBOR – A departing friend offered an assessment of life at College of the Atlantic on Saturday during the college’s 36th commencement ceremonies.

JoAnne Carpenter, an artist and art history teacher at the college since its first year, was the graduation speaker. She retired this year after 36 years with the college.

“At COA teaching goes in every direction,” Carpenter said. “Faculty learn from students, students learn from the maintenance crew, students advise students, and staff and students help make administrative decisions. If art can help to educate, so too can a really good community, such as the one we have achieved at College of the Atlantic.”

During the ceremonies, 62 students received bachelor of arts degrees in human ecology and four students received master of philosophy degrees in human ecology. The students represent 23 states and 12 nations, making this graduation the college’s most diverse to date.

Carpenter also reminded students that they have been linked by their experiences during their time at the college.

“In this intimate setting, each of us is a mirror for each other where we can question our values and motives,” she said. “Perhaps most important is the respect with which we treat each other in spite of divergent backgrounds, jobs and positions on issues.”

Carpenter added that the college had provided her the opportunity to change and grow during her time there.

“I learned to think, to teach and to paint at this special and wonderful little college,” said Carpenter, who is the first member of the faculty to retire.

In her honor, the college has created a position of faculty emeritus, which Carpenter now holds.

David Hales, president of the college, also challenged the students to “live your values, change yourselves, change your communities, change your country, change this world.”

Graduate Amanda Spector of Kingsville, Md., one of four student speakers, said she enrolled at COA after visiting a class where she was made so uncomfortable by the challenges to her own belief system that she had to apply.

She challenged classmates to persevere despite setbacks.

“Fall down,” she told her fellow graduates. “Slide, and then get up again.”

Graduate Ana Maria Rey Martinez from Bucaramanga, Colombia, urged the graduates to take risks and to realize the place for uncertainty and randomness.

By tradition, President Hales presented each graduate with a diploma, while the graduates presented flowers to each other.

During the ceremonies, honorary degrees were given to Henry Schmelzer, president and CEO of the Maine Community Foundation, and Elizabeth Straus, both of Somesville.