Phil Battos
Boulder, Colorado
Elected 2009 (Student Trustee)
Attending Naropa University

Phil Battos is an active student who is dedicated to improving the resources and opportunities of all Naropa students. He is a leader in Naropa's student government and sits on the board as the Student Trustee. As an adult transfer student in his junior year of the BA Contemplative Psychology program, Battos uses his studies to focus on the confluence of neuroscience and meditation with the hope of better understanding Eastern spirituality through a Western lens.

Since arriving at Naropa in fall 2008, he has tirelessly worked on behalf of the student body by participating in university committees and developing harmonious relationships with faculty and staff. Battos co-founded the Naropa Sports group, which has made league soccer available to Naropa's students, staff and alumni. In addition to managing a full course load, his current projects include starting a student newspaper and assisting with the renovation plans of the student center.

Before coming to Naropa, he worked as a retail manager in his hometown of Simsbury, Connecticut, and later in Denver. At the age of 23, Battos devoted his life to Buddhist study and practice, which eventually inspired him to embark on a five-year retreat in Granada, Spain.