Hello, dear alums,

It has been a long, hard winter for many of us. For those in the Front Range of Colorado, unseasonably warm temperatures and dry conditions have made winter feel strangely absent
from the calendar. We are grateful for beautiful, sunny days, and desperately missing much-needed snow.

A bright spot in these dark months has been seeing alumnx at local gatherings and meetups. While a chat over coffee may sound simple, the depth of conversations has been profound,
providing solace and inspiration. If you long for that (re)connection, this March may just be the ticket. From big events like the

Scalapino and
Lenz Lectures to a new
Spring Equinox Alumnx Gathering featuring Acudetox, I hope you find that growth and renewal is right around the corner.

And lastly, for those that need to hear it:

You are always welcome at Naropa. Whether you graduated last year or decades ago, Naropa will always be your community.

In gratitude,

Kelly Watt

Director of Alumnx Relations, Naropa University

Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics Spring 2026 Symposium:

First Seed / Last Star on Ecopoetics

Offered in person only on the Arapahoe Campus in Boulder

Monday, March 16 at 7:00PM // Leslie Scalapino Lecture feat. Layli
Long Soldier

Tuesday, March 17 at 12:00PM // First Seed / Last Star Panel feat. Sueyuen Juliette Lee, Crisosto Apache, & Amy Bobeda (MFA
’21)

Tuesday, March 17 at 7:00PM // Reading feat. Miranda Mellis (BA
’01) & Panelists

All events held in person in the Performing Arts Center, Arapahoe
Campus// Free & open to all

The Lenz Foundation Distinguished Guest Lecture

We Were Made for These Times: Bodhisattva Courage in a World on Fire

Nalanda
Events Center& Online

Tickets:
$25 FREE for Alumnx with the code LENZ26COMMUNITY

In a time of profound uncertainty—when democracy, education, and human dignity feel under threat—many of us are asking how to respond without losing our hearts or our clarity. Drawing
from the source of engaged Buddhism and contemporary movements for justice and reconciliation, this talk by
Kaira Jewel Lingo explores what it means to live the bodhisattva vow right now.

Together we will reflect on fear as a natural response to real danger, and how mindfulness helps us transform fear
into compassionate, skillful action. We will examine how to speak out against injustice without hatred or partisanship, how to practice “sacred criticism,” and how to care for the whole even in polarized times. Grounded in both the historical and ultimate
dimensions, this talk invites us to anchor in what is good, beautiful, and worth protecting—becoming seeds of the future we long to see.

Spring Equinox Alumnx Gathering: Acudetox

Friday, March 20 from 8:30-10:00AM // The Learning Commons of Wulsin Hall,

Arapahoe Campus

Free for all Naropa alumnx

The Spring Equinox brings the balance of day and night and the promise of growth and renewal. As we celebrate these themes and a new season,
we invite our alumnx to return to campus on the Spring Equinox for a special alumnx-only Acudetox offering. Facilitated by

Jo-Lynn Park, Naropa’s Senior Director of Community Well-being and Resilience, alums can enjoy the cumulative benefits of auricular acupuncture and this gentle way of connecting with the self & others. Using the 5-needle

NADA protocol, recipients sit quietly in a group for 30-45 minutes allowing the treatment to take effect. A selection of teas will be available to enhance your experience.

While you may drop in anytime, the last session will start around 9:30AM. Space is limited, RSVP encouraged.

Meet President Paul Burkhardt in person!

Naropa In Your Neighborhood: Denver

Hosted by President Paul Burkhardt, Chuck Lief, & Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees Mark Wilding

Thursday, March 26 // 6:00-8:00PM MT // Free

Wilde,
Denver Highlands

Denver area alumnx, this is your opportunity to meet Naropa’s new president, Dr. Paul Burkhardt, and hear important
university updates in community with other Naropa friends and alumnx. This special evening will leave you feeling reconnected to Naropa and excited for the future. Not to be missed!

Limited capacity, RSVP required.

Did you graduate between December 2023 & December 2025?

We want to hear from you!

Naropa University invites you to share your experiences and insights by completing this
2 minute survey about your post-graduation journey. Your responses will ensure that Naropa continues to offer a transformative education
for future students. We will summarize the data to highlight the real-world outcomes of a Naropa education, which will be shared publicly to showcase the impact of our community. Rest assured, all individual responses will remain confidential.

Help Us Surpass the Halfway Mark!

The 100×100
Campaign has a modest goal with a big impact. We are calling on 100 alumnx to strengthen their connection to Naropa with
a gift of $100 (or more!).

Your donation
supports student scholarships or the fund of your choice,
in particular graduate students who will lose a significant portion of their federal student loan funding in 2026.

It only takes a few minutes to set up a one-time or monthly donation. Just
$9 a month creates a powerful $100 a year donation! Your gift not only helps support students, but you help strengthen a community dedicated to fostering wisdom, compassion,
and social transformation. Give today – we are 45% of the way to our goal!

Kyra “Kiki” Bowman (MFA Theater, ’09) was
recently named Chief Communications Officer of the Kyoto, Japan campus of Temple University. Bowman will serve as the university’s principal strategist for institutional communications,
brand management, and public and media relations, advancing the university’s story and brand identity across all internal and external channels. Her appointment comes at one of the most dynamic moments in TUJ’s over four-decades history as a branch campus
of Philadelphia-based Temple University. Most recently, Bowman served as Head of Communications at the United Nations University. Congratulations, Kiki!