Welcome to Naropa University’s commencement! Today, we celebrate our graduates and the unique educational experience they’ve embraced—one that integrates mind, body, and spirit, rooted in Naropa’s legacy as the birthplace of the modern mindfulness movement.
May you be warmly welcomed!
Procession of Faculty
Procession of Graduates
Master of Ceremonies
Alumnx, MA in Contemplative Psychotherapy, 2006
Chief of Research & Translation under His Holiness the Je Khenpo
Master of Fine Arts, Creative Writing & Poetics. Original performance: “Creekbed”; accompanied by Painter on saxophone
Core Faculty and Chair, MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Transpersonal Art Therapy
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology
Master of Divinity
Interim Chief Academic Officer & Vice President for Academic Affairs
Senior Director of Admissions & Alumnx Relations
Interim Chief Academic Officer & Vice President for Academic Affairs
Senior Director of Admissions & Alumnx Relations
For a full video of the graduation ceremony, visit naropa.edu/graduation.
Please join us for a reception at the Nalanda Campus, 6287 Arapahoe Avenue, immediately following the ceremony.
Charles G. Lief
President
Chuck Lief was named the 7th president of Naropa University in 2012, and has a long affiliation with Naropa—first as a student of Naropa’s founder, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, then as a lawyer for the university, and later as chairman of the board.
For most of his professional career, Chuck has been an activist focusing on issues of social and economic justice. He was an early leader in the development of community-based social enterprise, and has led some of the country’s most innovative and successful organizations providing integrated low-income housing, HIV/AIDS health care and social services.
Chuck has served in leadership capacities on numerous boards, and currently serves as the Chair of the Lion’s Roar Foundation board and as a member of the Holistic Life Foundation board.
Beck Sydow
Master of Ceremonies
Beck Sydow (they/them) is the Founder of HumanKind Business Leaders (HBL), a business advising and leadership coaching company with a paradigm-shifting ethos: People-Hearted & Business-Minded™️ based in Boulder, CO. Beck’s business and leadership experiences stretch from entry-level labor positions to CEO of a Boulder County company named a Forbes Small Giant, recognized on the Inc. 5000 list, and acquired in 2021. Their beliefs and methodologies draw from a unique background as a former licensed psychotherapist (graduate of the MACP, Naropa 2006), psychiatric crisis clinician, certified mindful awareness and meditation teacher, and certified business advisor. Beck is a self-proclaimed business geek, a lover of people and the human condition, a writer, speaker, and community builder.
Khenpo Sonam Bumdhen
Invocation
Khenpo Sonam Bumdhen bridges monastic traditions with his contemporary education in Master’s in Religious Studies and Contemplative World Religions from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.
Currently, Khenpo Sonam works as the chief of Research and Translation under His Holiness the Je Khenpo who is the Supreme Spiritual head of Bhutan. Khenpo founded the Institute of Science of Mind in Thimphu under the central monastic body where he developed the curriculum and served as a Lecturer. Prior to his current position, Khenpo has also served as the first “Tsulak Drungchen” or The Secretary of Education of the Zhung Dratshang which is the Central Monastic Body of Bhutan. He has also served as Director of Research and Library at the Zhung Dratshang as well as the Board of Director at the Gross National Happiness Center in Thimphu, Bhutan
Dr. Michelle Chatman
Commencement Address
Dr. Michelle Chatman is a distinguished cultural anthropologist, contemplative scholar-educator, dedicated community-engaged researcher, inspiring storyteller, and passionate youth advocate. A native of Washington, DC, she proudly serves as an Associate Professor in the Crime, Justice, and Security Studies Program at The University of the District of Columbia (UDC), as well as Founding Director of the Mindful and Courageous Action (MICA) Lab, which advances healing-centered praxis. Dr. Chatman’s teaching and scholarship focus on critical areas such as urban inequality and the well-being of Black families, holistic youth development, anticolonial pedagogy, mindfulness, and culturally relevant contemplative approaches.
She has served as the Board Chair of the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society (CMIND) and is co-editor of Contemplative Practices and Acts of Resistance in Higher Education: Narratives Toward Wholeness (Routledge, 2025). Her long-standing commitment to contemplative practices and liberatory pedagogy has established her as a powerful leader in the mindfulness movement. Dr. Chatman enjoys karaoke, beach trips, good books, and traveling with friends. She lives in suburban Maryland with her husband and daughter.
Rachael Gula
Student Performer
Rachael Gula (she/they) sprouted from the chaparral of unceded Chumash land in so-called California. She releases music under the name rach and dabbles on a handful of instruments, including the technology of her Portuguese and Hawaiian ancestors, the ukulele. From the womb, to the ocean, to the creek running through the lands of the Arapaho, Ute, and Cheyenne peoples, Rachael lives to submerge in and commune with the waterscapes Earth lovingly offers. She organizes with the grassroots community Climatique and is graduating with an MFA for writing & poetics. You can find their music and stay connected at linktr.ee/rachaelgula. For booking inquiries, email rachaelgula@proton.me .
Leah Friedman
Faculty Speaker
Leah Friedman is an artist, art therapist, and associate professor currently serving as Chair of the Transpersonal Art Therapy concentration in the Graduate School of Counseling at Naropa University. She has been training therapists and helping people utilize creative expression for healing for over 20 years. She enjoys making art, cooking, and talking in-depth about a wide range of nerdy topics. She is a voracious reader, an excellent listener, not at all sporty, allergic to pets, and very good in a crisis.
Tamika Cox
Undergraduate Student Speaker
Tamika Cox is a senior graduating with a BA in Psychology with a concentration in Health and Healing, and minors in Performance and Visual Art. She serves as an RA, volunteers at a grief camp for kids, facilitates community Yoga Nidra, and has recently led a series of Grief Alchemy workshops for her Capstone. In these workshops, participants are guided through movement, breathwork, and Yoga Nidra practices to process and transform grief through embodiment. After graduating, Tamika hopes to work as a full-time therapist specializing in serving Black LGBTQ+ people and will join The People’s Mansion, a first-of-it’s-kind co-op project in Denver’s Cap Hill neighborhood.
Celeste Young
Graduate Student Speaker
Celeste Young came to Naropa by way of Tara Mandala Retreat Center, the tech sector, and Harvard. She’s a seasoned executive, a former theater techie, a passable knitter, the Board president of Tara Mandala, an Apprentice Teacher of the dharma, and a master’s degree student here in the Divinity program. She’ll be starting her chaplain residency with Virginia Mason Hospitals in Seattle, Washington this coming August.
Kelly Watt
Name Reader
Originally from central Illinois, Kelly Watt earned a Bachelor of Music from Illinois State University and a Master of Music from the University of Colorado. She is an active performer and has sung extensively throughout the Front Range. A member of the Naropa University community since 2011, Kelly strives to create an inclusive space where students, faculty, and staff feel welcomed, respected, and heard. In her role as Senior Director of Admissions & Alumnx Relations, she oversees the prospective student experience and their journey to Naropa. She loves dogs, reading, riding her ebike, making art, and exploring her neighborhood, the mountains, and beyond with her family and friends.
Degree of Bachelor of Arts
BA in Art Therapy
Lauren E. Bucklin
Santos Cervantes Jr.
Crystal Lynn Dugi
Audrey Houghton
Natalie Ramos
Gi Mercado
Britta (BES) Heywood
Saskia Weber-Mohr
BA in Contemplative Psychology
Mariah Avila
BA in Creative Writing & Literature
Harsheath Chauhan
Rachel Lebsack
Richard Scott Lemire
BA in Elementary Education
BA in Environmental Studies
Ethan Richard Flattery
Noah Blaine Kaufman
Maya Soleil Silva
BA in Environmental Studies and Creative Writing & Literature
BA in Interdisciplinary Studies
Danielle Irene Bonczkowski
Madison Cartaya
Willow Leslie Hitchcock
Zachary Jacob Horvitz
Lily Karp
Jordan Ashley McCallum
Lily-Radha McCormick
Stacie Elizabeth Moore
Luna A. Rosal
Sean Russell
Mickey Smyth
Edward J. Tajchman
Jules Tibbles
Barbara Wood
Wesley M. Wray
BA in Psychology
Laurie L. Abinader
Amy L. Arroyo
Jessica Marie Barreira
Madeline S. Cardon
Kate Cartwright
Jiayi Chen
Emily Grace Doyle
Nico Louis Drucker
Ximena Duarte
Alyssa Lorraine Dye
Amy M. Earnest
Jessa Fortaliza
Christopher Grossi
Machali Sarah Gussman
Ayleen Guzman
Devon M. Harris
Chelsea Hawthorne
Kai Ariel Holmes
Yan Blasco Ivanov
Jeanette Johnson
Rebecca Marie Koehl
Christina Marie Lauer
Amber Lebrun
Laela Mayuko Leonard
Cassondra Milbourne
Nicole S. Nakamoto
Javiera I. Naranjo
Crystal Nettleton
Meredith Ruby Mygatt Patchett
Jamie T. Peachey
Ada Zane Renner
Evan Rost
Joshua Grant Sanders
Taylor Meadow Sun
Kelly McFadden
Lux Kay Sterling
Christy Meshell Tice
Audrey Weaver
Nic Weber
Masaki Yamashita
Tamika Monica Cox
Jessie Jeans
Ana Perla Martinez
Marie Fran V. De Vera
Julian Dreyer
Julia Green
Nikka Gribanovsky
Hayley Hunt
Nathan Stone
Rebecca Turlay
Dolby Lynn Vincent
Arthur Becker
BA in Psychology & Religious Studies
Sean Patrick Lackey
Max Harrison Gregor
BA in Psychology & Yoga Studies
Sara Christina Swearingen
Bianca Lucretia Eden
Reiland Elizabeth Battreall
BA in Religious Studies
Jeira Thorson Esserman
Christopher Groom
John Surette
BA in Yoga Studies
Ms. Chelsey Jane Flaherty
Sasha Hana
Riley Rose Narsh
Degree of Master of Arts
MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Contemplative Psychotherapy & Buddhist Psychology
Jack Brahney
Shannon Chang
Alyssa B. Cook
Benjamen Duffy
Rayna Epstein
Fred M. Fialco
Benjamin James Fleenor
Alexander Morgan Gore
Aaron L. Grobler
Ani Hentkowski
Nate Jones
Rachel Ann Kelley
Le Thi My Hieu
Tracy Nall
John Papini
Si Pugh
David Benjamin Redish
Dustin Michael Steven Rose
James Sims
Mackai Rose Tapleshay
Jeremy Vera
Kelsey Warner
Haley Noelle Wilson
Warren Roark Zeger
MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Somatic Counseling: Body Psychotherapy
Aiyla Sahar Cook
Marlena R. Dougherty
Elizabeth Kennedy
Shelby Kindem
Jessie Lemmon
Althea Kay McWilliams
Alexa Mumm
Caroline Oakley
Joy Kenechukwu Okeke
Isabel Owens
Kiara Del Rosario Rafael
Crista Reid
Logan Scharadin
Alexandra Therese Schwartz
Jillian Joy Sierra
Kat Turner
Maxwell Wilson
MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Somatic Counseling: Dance/Movement Therapy
Emma Marie Dunlay
Emery Feagin
Imani Renee Payton
Sheli Keren Ruffer
Sarah MacKenzie Russo
Ashley Stephan
Ezra Unterseher
Alexandra Jade Walker
Katie Wiegman
MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Transpersonal Art Therapy
Kaila Maria Aguerre
Allison Michelle Bruner
Ruth Eugenia Cartwright
Kate Homel
Micah Johnson
Sara Leovic
Kelsey Gaynor Middleton
Jade Chand
Devon Raquel Josephine Ridge
Julia Spenadel
Jacqueline Eileen Wright
MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Transpersonal Counseling Psychology: Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling
Genesis Almonte
Chelsea Andrew Devault
Paria Ashouri
Hannah M. Badawy
Wesley Baker
Robert Marc Beinhocker
Alexander Gabriel Benaim
Ray Black
Britt Dona Boylan
Allesse Louise Braswell
Tara Anne Brouwer
Carolyn Helen Cahill
Alexander Russell Castron
Jordan Ceresnie
Heather Chironis
Adam Clack
Isabella Clegg
Kayla T. Copeland
Emily Cormier
Lexi Daniels
Susan Bozena Kohák de Campo
Tracy DeBellis
Amanda Lou Deckelbaum
Mukti Devi
Karla Marie Díaz Pacheco
Allison Kathleen Drucker
Katie Dumm
Hannah Blenkush Elliott
Katie Elliott
David Raymond Engele
Joe Faulkner
Natalie Lynn Feeney
Christine Fernandez
Nina First
Amanda Elizabeth Frankel
Jess Friedman
Kylie B. Fustini
Chelsea Marie Geier
Julia Merrin Glosserman
Leon Matthew Godsey
Luisa Fernanda Elizondo Granillo
Jeff D. Greenberg
Carrie E. Harrington
Robin Lee Hawley
Sierra Hubsher
Avery Cozzens Hynes
Elio Jarvis
Brooke Jefferson
Rachel Elizabeth Jensen
Stephanie Kelsey
Christine Suzanne Kenline
Sun Kim
Sara R. Klassen
Mikenna Anne Kossow
Lauren Kroeber
Adam Michael Kurtz
Ingrid Browning Lariviere
Megan Elizabeth Marini
Stephanie Michelle Marsh
Leigh A. McKinley
Sean Patrick McKinney
Sara McLoone
Mary Catherine McManus
Keegan Maverick Meadows
Rebecca Merrill
Katianna Morawitz
Niko Sullivan Moss
Deirdre Flavia Mubaiwa
Garon G. Nemyre
Benjamin Nixon
Eric Alexander Novikoff
Emma Nystrom
Inga Overstreet
Emily M. Peña
Cat Pfeiffer
Marian Rose Pierce
Graham Prather
Rachel Lily Ramsey
Andrew Rapisarda
Warren D. Robertson
Jacky Sabin
Meghan Elizabeth Schirmang
Sarah Ann Semmler Smith
Maxine Sharrah
Hailey Siebold
Alissa Kaleinani Spencer
Sharilynn Stanford
Agnes Starczewski
Maxwell Stebelton
Jordyn H. Steifman
Jon-Eric Steinbomer
Jasa N. Evensen
Adrian Tepperman
Scott Tesoro
Brady Tobin
Ariana Van Anne
Brooke Leigh Van Natta
Jonathan Wagner
Shelby D. Walkinshaw
Sizer Yerger
Alon Yizhak
Marie Zeledon
MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Transpersonal Counseling Psychology: Transpersonal Wilderness Therapy
Kelly Bishop
Joseph Kirby Candelario
Joselin Carranza
Emily Gibson
Kelley Heider
Sonya Hueftle
Brian Scoles
Hannah Webster
Katie Young
MA in Ecopsychology
Kathryn Bordini
Hollis Cato
Celeste da Silva Cunha
Hanna Nielson
Cory Potash
Aquene Sausville
Chelsea Victoria Schinker
MA in Religious Studies: Yoga Studies
Wesley Brooke Irene Beeler
Brenda C. Eppley
Jessie B. Fletcher
Daniela Danaysy Warsaw
Degree of Master of Divinity
Dre Concepcion
Shaviance Dor
Jeffrey Bruce Duncan
Jaclyn Mary Fenske
Chris George
Christopher Giuffré
Jade Lam
Annie Moyer
Erin Piatt
Laura Rubin
Deanne N. Turner
Edward Jared Turner
Austin Alexander Verret
Celeste Young
Degree of Master of Fine Arts
MFA in Creative Writing
Daisy I. Dumas-Featherstone
Laura Echelmeyer
Daniel B. Shirey
Devananda Vargas
MFA in Creative Writing & Poetics
Brian Alarcon
Valeria Eden Bouret
Rachael Virginia Gula
Isaac Hollandsworth
Robert J. Kelleher
Frank Corbin Ortega
Charlotte Sachs
Neshat Sadatmansoori
Degree of Bachelor of Arts
BA Art Therapy
Gi A. Mercado
Saskia Saht Nam Weber-Mohr
BA Contemplative Psychology
Mariah Nicole Avila
Hayley Beth Hunt
Jessie Elizabeth Jeans
BA Creative Writing & Literature
Celeste da Silva Cunha
Rachel Eisele Lebsack
Salem McGilloway
BA Environmental Studies
Maya Soleil Silva
Ethan Richard Flattery
Salem McGilloway
BA Interdisciplinary Studies
Madison A Cartaya
Lillian Grace McCormick
Luna A Rosal
Sean Matthew Russell
Michelle Leann Smyth
Madison A Cartaya
Stacie Elizabeth Moore
Jules Tibbles
BA Psychology
Jessica M. Barreira
Arthur Bernard Becker
Katelyn Rae Cartwright
Tamika Monica Cox
Celeste da Silva Cunha
Emily Grace Doyle
Nico Louis Drucker
Ximena Duarte
Jessa Fortaliza
Max Harrison Gregor
Machali Sarah Gussman
Devon M. Harris
Chelsea C. Hawthorne
Yan Blasco Ivanov
Jeanette Rochell Johnson
Annie Mae Kingery
Rebecca Marie Koehl
Christina Lauer
Laela Mayuko Leonard
Cassondra G. Milbourne
Javiera I. Naranjo
Santiago A. Nelson
Crystal A. Nettleton
Jamie T. Peachey
Nadja Redd
Evan M Rost
Joshua Grant Sanders
Kelly Kay Sishc McFadden
Alexandria Kay Sterling
Christy Meshell Tice
Rebecca Marie Turlay
Audrey Weaver
Nicole Lynn Weber
Masaki Yamashita
Jessica L Curtis
Alyssa Dye
Julia S Green
Meredith Ruby Mygatt Patchett
Ada Zane Renner
Valentina Alice Stieler von Heydekampf
Nathan Grant Stone
BA Religious Studies
Max Harrison Gregor
John Surette
BA Yoga Studies
Chelsey J. Flaherty
Sasha Hana McKeithan
Riley Rose Narsh
Valentina Alice Stieler von Heydekampf
Degree of Master of Arts
MA Clinical Mental Health: Contemplative Psychotherapy & Buddhist Psychology
Shannon Chang
Alyssa B. Cook
Tomas G. Dawkins
Benjamen Arthur Duffy
Fred M. Fialco
Benjamin James Fleenor
Aaron L. Grobler
Ani Hentkowski
Robert Nathan Jones
Rachel Ann Kelley
Lê Th? M? Hi?u
Katheryn Michelle Medina
Jennifer L Moore
Tracy Jean Nall
Andrew Gerard O’Reilly
John Thomas Papini
Josiah Robert Pugh
Lucas Alexander Rakel
David B. Redish
Dustin Michael Steven Rose
James Earl Sims
Lincoln Hobson Taggart
Ariana Van Anne
Lucia Jingxuan Wang
Warren Roark Zeger
John P. Arnold
Rayna Claire Epstein
Kaylee M. Gore
Haley Noelle Wilson
MA Clinical Mental Health: Somatic Body Psychotherapy
Aiyla Sahar Cook
Marlena R Dougherty
Elizabeth Kennedy
Shelby Marie Kindem
Jessie Lee Lemmon
Althea Kay McWilliams
Alexa Lisette Mumm
Caroline M. Oakley
Joy Kenechukwu Okeke
Isabel Pearl Owens
Kiara Del Rosario Rafael
Crista Jean Reid
Logan Raquel Scharadin
Alexandra Therese Schwartz
Jillian Joy Sierra
Hannah Marie Halverson Webster
MA Clinical Mental Health: Somatic Dance/Movement Therapy
Emma Marie Dunlay
Emery Feagin
Imani Renee Payton
Sarah MacKenzie Russo
Ashley Nicole Stephan
Kathleen A. Turner
Jonathan Stuart Wagner
MA Clinical Mental Health: Somatic Psychology
MA Clinical Mental Health: Transpersonal Art Therapy
Kaila Maria Aguerre
Allison Michelle Bruner
Ruth Eugenia Cartwright
Byanca Arely Cervantes Hinojoza
Kate Elizabeth Homel
Mischelle Ann Johnson
Sara Elizabeth Leovic
Ms Kelsey G. Middleton
Jade K. Pointer
Devon Raquel Josephine Ridge
Julia B Spenadel
Maxwell Schickel Wilson
MA Clinical Mental Health: Transpersonal Counseling Psychology: Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling
Paria Ashouri
Hannah M Badawy
Wesley S. Baker
Tara Anne Brouwer
Adam Clack
Emily Cormier
Susan Bozena Kohák de Campo
Amanda Lou Deckelbaum
Kathryn Elaine Dumm
Katherine I. Elliott
David Raymond Engele
Joseph A. Faulkner
Christine M. Fernández
Nina First
Jessica Renee Friedman
Kylie B. Fustini
Chelsea M. Geier
Jeff D. Greenberg
Niko Levi Sullivan Moss
Robin Lee Hawley
Avery Hynes
Brooke Jefferson
Sun M. Kim
Lauren Elizabeth Kroeber
Ylva Hedi Luise Kroke
Adam Michael Kurtz
Megan Elizabeth Marini
Leigh A. McKinley
Sean Patrick McKinney
Mary Catherine McManus
Keegan Maverick Meadows
Katianna Morawitz
Benjamin Samuel Nixon
Eric Alexander Novikoff
Emma G. Nystrom
Emily M. Peña
Catherine Marie Pfeiffer
Marian Rose Pierce
Graham S. Prather
Rachel Lily Ramsey
Andrew Michael Goldberg Rapisarda
Meghan Elizabeth Schirmang
Hailey Renee Siebold
Ezra Unterseher
Jeremy Michael Vera
Alexandra Jade Walker
Alexander Gabriel Benaim
Rachel Renée Black
Carolyn Helen Cahill
Alexander Russell Castron
Jordan Ceresnie
Heather N. Chironis
Isabella S Clegg
Lexi Daniels
Olivia Douglas
Natalie L. Feeney
Amanda Elizabeth Frankel
Julia Merrin Glosserman
Sara R. Klassen
Mikenna Anne Kossow
Luis Sebastian Luna
Sara Johnson McLoone
Jacqueline Christina Sabin
Sarah Ann Semmler Smith
Agnes Starczewski
Jordyn H. Steifman
Jon-Eric Steinbomer
Scott Tesoro
George Sizer Yerger IV
Alon Yizhak
Marie A. Zeledon
MA Clinical Mental Health: Transpersonal Wilderness Therapy
Kelly Jean Bishop
Joseph Kirby Candelario
Joselin Carranza-Balderas
Emily Marie Gibson
Kelley Elizabeth Heider
Sonyamarie Rahima Hueftle
Matthew P Larson
Brian James Scoles
Katherine L. Young
MA Clinical Mental Health
Transpersonal Ecopsychology
Hollis Cato
Chelsea V. Schinker
Religious Studies
Brenda C. Eppley
Degree of Master of Fine Arts
MFA Creative Writing
Laura Echelmeyer
Devananda Virgina Vargas
MFA Creative Writing & Poetics
Valeria E. Bourret
Rachael Virginia Gula
Robert Joseph Kelleher
Frank Corbin Ortega
Charlotte Anne Sachs
Neshat Sadatmansoori
Degree of Master of Divinity
Master of Divinity
Jeffrey Bruce Duncan
Annie Moyer
Erin Shelley Piatt
Celeste Raina Young
Shaviance M. Dor
Jaclyn Mary Fenske
Christopher George
Christopher James Giuffré
Laura Michelle Rubin
Edward Jared Turner
Austin Alexander Verret
Master of Divinity: Somatic Body Psychotherapy
FACULTY INVOLVEMENT AWARD
Awarded to name at the Student Engagement Awards, this award is for a faculty member who has significantly helped bridge the gap between learning inside and outside of the classroom by encouraging and supporting student participation in co-curricular activities and in leadership roles.
OUTSTANDING STUDENT LEADER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Awarded to undergraduate students Jennifer “Fern” Deininger and Connor Heikkila and to graduate student Robin Bruce at the StudentEngagement Awards, this prestigious award is for students who have made sacrifices in order to improve an aspect of campus life. These students have taken a courageous stand on a campus or societal issue and offered creative solutions, advocated for positive change, inspired and motivated others to become engaged in campus life, and demonstrated genuine care for others by encouraging divergent viewpoints and multiple perspectives.
The NAROPA BOW
By no means compulsory, the bow has become a tradition at Naropa University. Students, staff, and faculty find themselves performing the bow countless times while at Naropa, and many find enjoyment and comfort in the growing familiarity that such a ritual can provide when repeated often.
Make A Gift
Your gifts to Naropa University create opportunities for transformational educational experiences. Learn below about the many programs, scholarships, and giving opportunities that make Naropa University and your legacy special.
About Naropa
Located in Boulder, Colorado, Naropa University is a Buddhist-inspired, nonsectarian liberal arts university that is recognized as the birthplace of the mindfulness movement. Naropa offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs that emphasize professional and personal growth, intellectual development, and cultivating compassion.
Academics
Contemplative education brings together the best of Western scholarship and Eastern world wisdom traditions. Therefore, your pursuit of wisdom at Naropa means learning both about academic subjects and about your own place in the world. This innovative approach places Naropa on the cutting edge of the newest and most effective methods of teaching and learning.
Admissions & Aid
If you’re seeking an education that resonates with both personal fulfillment and global impact, Naropa could be your top choice. At Naropa, you will experience a comprehensive curriculum that integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational approaches. Explore how Naropa can fuel your journey of intellectual and spiritual development.
Life at Naropa
Through its incredibly vibrant and welcoming community, “Naropa offers a home for those who aren’t willing to conform to convention—the mystic, the healer, the prophet, the rebel, the artist, the revolutionary, the oddball—those who are incredible contributors to the evolution of society and of our planet.”—Core Associate Professor Zvi Ish-Shalom
The Naropa Difference
How is Naropa different from other universities? At Naropa, a liberal arts education balances rigorous academics with powerful interpersonal skills and self-awareness to educate the whole person. Naropa’s contemplative approach is inspired by Buddhist philosophy and the conviction that we can build a diverse, contemplative, enlightened society when we have transformed education to affirm the basic goodness of every person.
Support Naropa
At a time when the value of higher education is being questioned, Naropa University stands firmly rooted in its mission to create a more just and regenerative world by nurturing insight, awareness, courage, and compassion in its students. By making a gift to Naropa, you play a pivotal role in helping to create the authentic, effective & mindful leaders that the world desperately needs.
Due to adverse weather conditions of high winds and planned power outages, all Naropa campuses will be closed today.
