Student Profiles

Rebecca Wasserman

Degree program: Environmental Studies BA program; focus in Horticulture; minors in Contemplative Education and Yoga
Age: 21
Hometown: Ipswich, Massachusetts
# of semesters at Naropa: currently in my 5th

Organizations:
Earth Week 2006 Planning Committee, recently completed a summer internship with Growing Gardens and the Cultiva! Youth Project

Off-campus activities/hobbies/interests: babysitting, jewelry making, yoga, cooking, sewing, holistic health and nutrition, gardening, going to see live music in and around Boulder

What’s your favorite place on campus and why?
The green behind the Arapahoe campus, which technically is part of CU’s Family Housing I believe. I like the open space, large trees and great view of the flatirons. It’s a nice, quiet area that’s great for napping/reading/practicing without too many people around to distract you.

I also really love the huge sycamore trees in the center of the Arapahoe campus. The tress are just so huge and beautiful; every time I look at them I’m just in awe, and this effect never seems to dull no matter how many times I’ve walked by them.

Contemplative education is...
fresh, inspiring and constantly evolving. It takes education to a level in which your own process is part of the larger process. It is not just examining a subject from the outside, it is taking a look from all angles and integrating what you learn into how you live your life.

How did you find Naropa?
I actually had to go to West Africa in order to find Naropa. While spending a few months in Ghana volunteering at a preschool I met another volunteer in the same program who said she went to school in Boulder. She told me how she had gone to CU for a few years and then transferred to a small, Buddhist-inspired university in town. Coincidentally (or not?), I had already deferred my admission to CU until 2003 and after I completed my first year of college there, I transferred to Naropa.

Leigh Burbank

Degree program: Environmental Studies
Age: 26
Hometown: Rochester, NY
# of semesters at Naropa: 2
Organizations: Currently starting up an environmentally focused student group

What is your role among your friends and in the community?

My role in the community seems to be just starting to surface. As an older student I seem to provide a safe zone for younger students and be a leader in many of my classes. I hope to utilize my skills and interests further within my community in order to spark more movement and decision making within the environmental studies student community.

How did you find Naropa?
I found Naropa after attending 2 previous universities. Naropa provided the contemplative aspect in education that I had been performing for myself for many years prior. I wanted a school that further stimulated my quest for understanding life in a non-linear manner.