"2026 Commencement" with Naropa University logo

Naropa University’s commencement

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! 

A group of naropa graduates wearing purple sashes

Schedule

A group of Naropa graduates, one holding his child, during commencement
A Naropa graduate smiling during the commencement ceremony
A man with his arms wrapped around a woman wearing a flower in her hair.

For a full video of the graduation ceremony, visit naropa.edu/graduation.

Procession of Faculty & Staff

Procession of Graduates

Master of Ceremonies

Nomali Perera

BA in Interdisciplinary Studies, 2004

Invocation

Amy Bobeda

Director of the Naropa Writing Center, and Director of Visual Arts, Music, and Performance

Opening Gong & Bow

Paul Burkhardt, PhD

President

President's Welcome

Paul Burkhardt, PhD

President

Commencement Address

Kirsten Wilson

MFA in Theater, 2006

Student Performance

Moudi Sbeity

MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling 

Faculty Speaker

Karen Kissel Wegela, PhD

Core Professor

Undergraduate Student Speaker

Leah Aran Miller

BA in Religious Studies

Graduate Student Speaker

Jess Benjamin

Master of Divinity

Presentation of Graduate Diplomas

Jeffrey Pethybridge, PhD

Chief Academic Officer & Vice President for Academic Affairs

Reading of Graduate Names

Kelly Watt

Director of Alumnx Relations

Presentation of Undergraduate Diplomas​

Jeffrey Pethybridge, PhD

Chief Academic Officer & Vice President for Academic Affairs

Reading of Undergraduate Names

Kelly Watt

Director of Alumnx Relations

Closing Gong & Bow

Paul Burkhardt, PhD

President

Recessional

A man with his arms wrapped around a woman wearing a flower in her hair.

For a full video of the graduation ceremony, visit naropa.edu/graduation.

A man and Naropa graduate smiling at camera after the commencement ceremony

Please join us for a reception at the Nalanda Campus, 6287 Arapahoe Avenue, immediately following the ceremony.

Speakers & Performers

President Paul Burkhardt head shot.

Paul Burkhardt, PhD

President

Dr. Burkhardt was named Naropa’s 8th president in August 2025. “Naropa’s mission and approach to education—rooted in contemplative practice and guided by compassion, critical inquiry and courageous engagement—give me so much hope for the future,” said Dr. Burkhardt. “Naropa invites us to engage the world not with fear or cynicism but bravely with presence, purpose and care, and I look forward to leading with and learning from the wonderful faculty, staff, students and alumni of Naropa who are already living the values of mindfulness, radical compassion and creative expression in their classrooms, communities and careers.”
Dr. Burkhardt received his doctoral degree with honors in comparative cultural and literary studies from the University of Arizona. He most recently served as Provost at the University of Olivet in Michigan and, for many years, was the executive vice president and provost at Prescott College in Arizona, an institution that is mission-aligned with Naropa. He’s known for adept handling of student and faculty needs amid periods of rapid enrollment increase and for leading inclusive group processes that reinforce the power of shared governance and effective collaboration among students, staff and faculty. Since 2007, he has worked with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), the largest regional accreditor, serving as an accreditation team member and team chair, as well as a consultant evaluator in dozens of site visits to universities across 19 states, including Colorado, covered by the HLC.

Nomali Perera headshot

Nomali Perera

Master of Ceremonies

Nomali Perera looks back fondly on her time in the early 2000’s at Naropa University, where she earned a BA in Contemplative Psychology and Religious Studies as an international student from Sri Lanka. She went on to complete an MA in Nonprofit Management at Regis University and became an executive coach and facilitator, integrating developmental and contemplative approaches to leadership across corporate, nonprofit, and startup sectors. Nomali has also served as Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions at Naropa, and currently is the Executive Director of Organizational Development & Transformation at E&I Cooperative Services.

Amy Bobeda headshot

Amy Bobeda

Invocation

Amy Bobeda is a multidisciplinary artist originally from the Central Coast of California. With degrees in theater, cosmetology, and creative writing, her work spans many genres and mediums from film and fashion art to illustration and poetry. Her works have been exhibited, read, and watched in the US and abroad. Menstruation, the origins of culture, and Native American prose, poetry, and pottery are central to her artistic practices. She’s an alum of Mud House Residency & Writers Workshop Paris. Her work explores myth, fairytales, dreams, and ecology. She is the author & illustrator of Red Memory (Flowersong Press), What Bird Are You? (Finishing Line Press) and Mi Sin Manitos (Ethel Press).

Kirsten Wilson head shot

Kirsten Wilson

Commencement Address

Kirsten Wilson is the Artistic Director, founder, and visionary of Motus Theater. She is a narrative artist, master teacher in the field of autobiographical monologue work, and editor of the Motus Monologues and Shoebox Stories podcasts. Kirsten has created several award-winning multimedia performances exploring history through the lens of race and class. Wilson excels at co-developing autobiographical monologue projects with leaders on the frontlines of violence and oppression in the U.S., putting them center stage as the protagonists in the American drama. These autobiographical monologues expand perceptions, disrupt dehumanizing narratives, inspire more humane policies, and shed light on the root causes of injustice. Since 2013, she has worked with undocumented leaders to codevelop their stories of living on the frontlines of U.S. immigration policy. In 2019, she began co-developing stories with formerly incarcerated leaders to highlight the criminality and injustice of the legal system, and in 2021, she began collaborating with transgender and nonbinary leaders. Wilson is known for creating spaces of courageous empathy and civic hospitality; she pairs Motus Theater monologists with local and national leaders who stand together and co-read their stories aloud on stage. Her work has been featured in media outlets as diverse as Theater Magazine, NPR, Fast Company, Ms. Magazine, The Washington Post, and USA Today. Wilson’s dynamic range of training includes an MFA in Contemporary Theater from Naropa University; an MDiv from Union Theological Seminary; studies in visual arts at the Institute of American Indian Arts; and a BA in English Literature from Barnard College. Wilson refers to herself as a human primate of beauty, brokenness, and abundance.

Moudi Sbeity headshot

Moudi Sbeity

Student Performer

Moudi Sbeity is a Lebanese-American poet, author, and contemplative counselor. Born in Texas and raised in Lebanon, he moved to the United States at the age of eighteen as an evacuee following the 2006 July war. In Utah, Moudi founded and operated Laziz Kitchen, a Lebanese restaurant celebrated by the New York Times as “the future of queer dining.” Moudi was also a named plaintiff in Kitchen v. Herbert, the landmark case that brought marriage equality to Utah and the 10th circuit states in 2014. A lifelong stutterer, he is passionate about writing and poetry as practices in fluency and self-expression. His memoir, Habibi Means Beloved, and poetry collection, Alhamdulillah Anyway, are set to be published in the fall of 2026. You can learn more at www.moudisbeity.com.

Landscape 2_0006_Karen Wegela 4

Karen Kissel Wegela, PhD

Faculty Speaker

Karen Kissel Wegela, PhD, is a licensed psychologist in the State of Colorado. She has been a professor at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, for more than forty years and served as the department chair for fifteen years. She began working as a psychotherapist in private practice in 1977 and recently closed her private practice. Before she was a psychologist, she taught high school English. She is the author of three books: How to Be a Help Instead of a Nuisance (Shambhala, 1996), reissued in 2011 as What Really Helps: Using Mindfulness & Compassionate Presence to Help, Support, and Encourage Others; The Courage to Be Present: Buddhism, Psychotherapy, and the Awakening of Natural Wisdom (Shambhala, 2009); and Contemplative Psychotherapy Essentials: Enriching Your Practice with Buddhist Psychology (W. W. Norton, 2014). She has been an invited speaker at numerous conferences both nationally and internationally. She holds a BA from the University of Rochester (Major in English, 1967), an MA from Boston University (English Language & Literature, 1968), a second MA (Education: Guidance & Counseling) from the University of Denver, and a PhD from the Union Institute (Counseling, Psychology & Experiential Learning, 1977).

Leah Aran Miller headshot for graduation program.

Leah Aran Miller

Undergraduate Student Speaker

Leah Aran Miller is graduating with a BA in Religious Studies with a concentration in Hasidism and a minor in Psychology. Leah is a Jewish and Sufi interspiritual practitioner, community builder, musician, and writer with a deep passion for her learning, pluralism, sacred song, and contemplative life. At 25 years old, Leah has been participating at the forefront of interspiritual futures. As the Keating-Schachter Intern at Naropa and the program director of the Charis Foundation’s Interspiritual Summer Monastic Program, she facilitates many different cross-cultural and religious initiatives and is devoted to the potentials of interspiritual life and interreligious pluralism. She is also passionate about the vitality of Judaism in our current paradigm, having organized and attended music conferences, assembled and facilitated addiction recovery and collective liberation-themed passover seders, written Hasidic-Sufi interspiritual music for ceremonial use, and organized countless meaningful grassroots Shabbat gatherings and other Jewish experiences open to all. Her passions for Judaism and Interspirituality meet in the middle at Hassidism, a spiritual movement that grew out of Judaism, where she works to discover the possibility this wisdom holds for a functional spiritual path for people from all walks of life. Her next steps include a short monastic chapter in New Mexico with the Charis Foundation, and solidarity activism, protective presence, and Jewish liberation theology learning in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Jess Benjamin head shot

Jess Benjamin

Graduate Student Speaker

Jess Benjamin is graduating with a Master of Divinity. They are a photographer and filmmaker who teaches at the intersection of mindfulness and creativity, and prior to their graduate studies, they also worked as a grant writer for nonprofits across the country, raising funding and awareness for issues such as food security, community health, and affordable housing. Jess is trained as a mindfulness meditation teacher from the Mindfulness Training Institute, and served on the board of Buddhist Peace Fellowship, a nonprofit that catalyzes partnerships between social justice movements and Buddhist practitioners. They received an undergraduate degree from Harvard, where they studied neuropsychology. While at Naropa, they served as a Buddhist chaplain at Bryn Mawr College, and loved bringing contemplative teachings and practices to college students. They currently live in Philadelphia with their partner and their dog.

Jeffrey Pethybridge head shot

Jeffrey Pethybridge, PhD

Chief Academic Officer & Vice President for Academic Affairs

Jeffrey Pethybridge is the author of Striven, The Bright Treatise. His work appears widely in journals such as Chicago Review, Volt, Poor Claudia, Best American Experimental Writing, The Iowa Review, LIT, New American Writing and others. He teaches in the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University where he is Director of the Summer Writing Program. He is also the North American Editor for Likestarlings, a web-archive of collaborative poetry and poetics.
He lives in Denver with the poet Carolina Ebeid and their son Patrick; together they curate and host the Lord Weary’s Reading Series, and edit Visible Binary. He’s currently at work on a documentary project centered on the recently released torture memos entitled “Force Drift, an Essay in the Epic.” He grew up in Virginia.

Kelly Watt headshot

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.

2025–2026 Graduates

Annika Anderson 
Amy Cadavero  
Maia Griffith
Jeung a Lee 
Audrey Melendrez  
Leila Pettibone
Lisa Phifer
Marly Smith  
Tara Toepke
Morgan Unger
Saskia Weber-Mohr

Riza Pykkonen

Sambhavi Jayashree Ashok

Riley Hathaway

Ella Dorothea Dose
Piper Potts

Ansel Konzan Braidman
Katherine Linehan
Lilly Pinciaro
Eva May Stern

Interdisciplinary Studies: Concentration in Contemplative Psychology, Embodied Ecology, and Mysticism

Megan Josette Hainstock

Interdisciplinary Studies: Concentration in Eastern Religions

Joshua Coffey

Interdisciplinary Studies: Concentration in Embodied Wisdom Studies

Tori Welch

Interdisciplinary Studies: Concentration in Environmental Studies, Interdisciplinary Studies & Eastern Arts

Bjorn Michael Walters

Interdisciplinary Studies: Concentration in Indigenous Studies, Literary Activism & Wellness

Lizette Fernandez-Ledon

Interdisciplinary Studies: Concentration in Music, Collaboration & Community Building

Mia Franconi “Robi” Robichaud

Interdisciplinary Studies: Concentration in Psychology, Consciousness & Therapeutic Practices

Sweden Balzly

Interdisciplinary Studies: Concentration in Psychology and Religious Studies

Shiva Sampurna

Interdisciplinary Studies: Concentration in Psychology, Social Justice & Political Advocacy

Oakley Morrow

Interdisciplinary Studies: Concentration in Somatic Counseling & Ecology

Talin Vallat-Phillips

Interdisciplinary Studies: Concentration in Somatic Psychology, Eastern Traditions, and Environmental Studies

Emily Rosa Corbitt

Interdisciplinary Studies: Concentration in Transpersonal Psychology & Environmental Studies

Jonathan Bertrand Carrie

Melissa Adelman
Victoria Alvanos
Kyle Anderson
Aubrey Avery
Jemma Breslin
Samantha Brock
Grace Chambers
Talia Claman
Kailee Corpus
Jessica Curtis
Heather Davis
Erin Doubenmier
Jordan Dyer
Montell Kristine Eckley
Gabriella Espinoza
Taylor Godfrey
Greg Griem
Emily Gustafson
Taylor Hatfield
Emily Holmes
Kai Holmes
Abigail Lamb
Gemma Maginnis
Kalea Trinity Maronn
Grant Maurer
Mikey McKim
Emilee Musgrave
Matthew Nichols
Heidi Marie Overton
Meredith Patchett
Sierra Pokrob
Dana Ponchner Broitman
Brody Pulkrab
Sage Radecki
Bianca Radulescu-Banu 
William Reimer
Emilio Rodriguez
Megan Salazar
Valerie Spektor
Alissah Washburn
Audrey L. Weaver

Gabriella Christine Bustamante Espinoza
Cassidy Brianne Kroll

Ilycia Tatiana Castillo
Kaiden Goforth
Leah Aran Miller

Mackenzie Reinhart
Mona Taylor
George Waldrop

William Langford

Payton Adams
Manasa Ashok
Jasmine Berno
Alexis Leeana Campbell
Shawn Carter
Vanshaj Garg
Caroline Jacobs
Keni Nicole James
Skyler Kee
Joshua Mann
Minh Toan
Kyle James Parker
Michael “Meesh” Sauter
Nick Schneider
Henry M L Smith
Jess Thomas
Ashley Molander Warlick
Alaina White

Jae Agati
Gabriela Ayala-Canizares
Hannah Chapman
Jialin Chu 楚嘉琳
Isabel Frances Crossen
Nailah Victoria Davis
Morgan Dent
Gabriel Evenson
Bruce Kenyon
Natasha Kiran
Sophia Li
Lydia Antonivna Lutsyshyna
Talya Matz 
Sophia Ida McPhee
Katelyn Boisen Miranda
Cate Moll
Joslyn JaNon Morris
Janelle Ochs
Sarah Kate Reddy
Gabrielle Robledo
Heidi Schuffert
Alexandra Schwartz 
Noah Sjoblom
Joelle Stille
Eden Tsour
Nicole White

Shannon Lynn Bailey
Melanie Johnson
Isabella Kasper
Cindy Angela Keith
Kinsey Culver Kline
Teagan Lehrmann
Nicole Migacz
Karina Pinzón
Sarah Skilling
Sam Wilde

Ria Bonstrom
Sheridan Butcher Dooley
Candy Bari
Keely Conroy
Samantha Dayton
Lily Dobesh
Sarah Lindsey Flynn
Sam Gill
SunBee Matiz
Lindsay Murphy
Madeline Nelson
Bethany Ottens
Jessamyn Shanks
Maciej Stabile 
Victoria Stetson
Anna Levacy Vark
Sid Warters

Johann Aberger
Casey Behr
Adrian Bezanis
Ethan Bialick
Katelyn Blount
Bobby Boyle
Marc Bruckner
Sarah Elizabeth Byrd
Jennifer Byrnett
Clark Carroll
Alexander Castron
Chris Chandler 
Emily Cohn
Rachel Couch
Nicholas Cowden
Lilly Davis
Lisa N. Dean
Caleb Dependahl
Elizabeth Flanagan Diamond
Olivia Douglas
Lauren Doyle
Jordyn Dresser
Kathryn Dumm 
Dylan Edwards
Kateria Engelhardt
Didem Ergin
Andi Esper
Elizabeth Eubank
Taylor Ferrari
Amanda Fields
Mary Fitzgerald
Tracey Foster
Alyssa Franks 
Kelly Gant
Heather Greenberg
Ashley D. Guthrie
Summer Hagan
Alicia Hammer
Bobbi Harrison
Paris Haynes
Austen Grant Henry
Isaiah Hill
Jonathan Holubiak
Kacie Hull
Glenys Hunt
Linda Marie Ireland
John Irvin
Issa Jukiro
Kaley Kauff
Miles Kelly
Casey Rose Keywell
Mikenna Anne Kossow
Nik Krause
Adam Krupitsky Wernham
Amber Lee
Zhixue Li
Kate Maas
Jenna Mallon
Chelsea Margolies
Emily Cass McDonnell
Samantha Joy Mendel
Amaya Mensinger
Angi Moe-Kyllonen
Sophia Moss
Sita Mukerji 
John Murray
Gabrielle Obiya-Romero
Juliet Olmos
Lisa M Olsen
Krista Olson
Cecily Overman
Kendra Park
Rhonda Paynter
Chelsea Brooke Pohl
Leila Qari
Courtney Randolph
Lisa Rice
Moudi Sbeity 
Meaghan Seelaus
Christina Seymour
Roya Shalchi
Madeline Shultes
Ellie Marie Sidebottom
Gabriela Smookler
Kiea C. Spake-Wright
Julian Staiano
Robyn Stail
Kirk Stapley
Jessica Stewart
Sabrina Stone
Colleen Subramanian
Kadesha Taylor Morgan
Savannah Teller Brown
Lucia Marie Terpak
Gabriela Cristina Villalpando
Jen Voigt
Meridith Weiss
Elena Wildheart
Della Wilsey
Melanie Yee
Hootan Ziary

Jessica Rae Arneson
Rileymarie Clarke
Hayley Colvard
Daniel Delany
James Hilton
Sarah Hogan
Kevin Andrew Jordan
Kelsey Loupy
Brandon O’Hearn
Sasha Reydel
Bella Riguzzi
Allison Taylor Saltz
Steve y Taco
Wylie Stewart 
Evan A. Wilson
Alixandra Mines Zabin

Megan Annabelle Adams
Andrew Atchison
Camilla Bottoms
Alyssa Deloach 
Chimi Dema
Elana Jaroff
Tenzin Lekphell
Rachel Elizabeth Thompson

Lindsay Brown
Tanya Griffith
Matthew Kopp
Peter Michaelsen
Theresa Parsonage
Melissa Ramos
Sarah Spiegel
Satchie Wolfe

Sarah Abigail Adleman
Daniel Ray Bedsaul
Jess Benjamin
Zachary Brown
Kevin Curtis
Shaviance Dor
Modesto Garcia Jr.
Chris George
Jennifer A. Jones
Winnie Lam
Lillian Lee
Zoe Mai
Paul Matteson
Chelsea McCoy
Matthew Mitchel
Rev. Josh Prakāśa Morris
Alyssa Neal 
Richard Owings
Elvira Sevilla
Austin Verret
Xuan Wang

Cody Cook-Parrot 
Roman (Ray) Williams

Mari Eileen Brown
Adam W. Fitzgerald
Courtney “Quartz” Klapp
Heather M Mars
Kristen Richards

24–25 Graduates

Gi A. Mercado
Saskia Saht Nam Weber-Mohr

Mariah Nicole Avila
Hayley Beth Hunt
Jessie Elizabeth Jeans

Celeste da Silva Cunha
Rachel Eisele Lebsack
Salem McGilloway

Maya Soleil Silva
Ethan Richard Flattery
Salem McGilloway

Madison A Cartaya
Lillian Grace McCormick
Luna A Rosal
Sean Matthew Russell
Michelle Leann Smyth
Madison A Cartaya
Stacie Elizabeth Moore
Jules Tibbles

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

Max Harrison Gregor
John Surette

Chelsey J. Flaherty
Sasha Hana McKeithan
Riley Rose Narsh
Valentina Alice Stieler von Heydekampf

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

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

Emma Marie Dunlay
Emery Feagin
Imani Renee Payton
Sarah MacKenzie Russo
Ashley Nicole Stephan
Kathleen A. Turner
Jonathan Stuart Wagner

Brady Tobin

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

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

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

Mackai Rose Tapleshay Kelsey Warner Jacqueline Eileen Wright

Hollis Cato
Chelsea V. Schinker

Brenda C. Eppley

Laura Echelmeyer

Devananda Virgina Vargas

Valeria E. Bourret
Rachael Virginia Gula
Robert Joseph Kelleher
Frank Corbin Ortega
Charlotte Anne Sachs
Neshat Sadatmansoori

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

Deanne N. Turner

Awards

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.

A group of Naropa student bowing to each other in a circle

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.

At Naropa, the bow is a way of acknowledging and honoring the qualities of warriorship that each of us possesses. In bowing to each other, we honor the inherent bravery, gentleness, and wakeful intelligence that each of us can experience personally. We also honor Naropa as a place where the deepest purpose of our education is to cultivate these qualities, and bring them to fuller expression in whatever field of learning we may choose.

Make A Gift

As we celebrate this meaningful milestone, we invite you to honor your graduate in a way that carries their impact forward. A gift to Naropa scholarships supports future students who are walking their own paths of purpose, compassion, and transformation. In recognizing the journey of someone you love, you can help make that same journey possible for others.

Congratulate Our Graduates

YOU ARE READY.

This is where experiential learning meets academic rigor. Where you challenge your intellect and uncover your potential. Where you discover the work you’re moved to do—then use it to transform our world.

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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.

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Naropa University campuses are closed on 05/06/2026. 

From Naropa University: Due to adverse weather conditions, all Naropa campuses will be closed on 05/06/26. All classes that require a physical presence on campus will be canceled. Classes that are delivered online in our low-residency programs are to meet as scheduled.

Regardless of Naropa University’s decision, if you ever believe the weather conditions are unsafe, please contact your supervisor and professors.

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Spring and Summer Start Dates for the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentrations

In support of students and in response to federal legislation impacting financial aid for graduate students, Naropa University will be accepting applications for MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling for spring starts through January 10.

Graduate School of Counseling concentrations listed below will be offering online and low-residency courses to start their programs in January 2026 as well as our Summer 2026 terms.

Beginning a graduate program in Spring 2026 or Summer 2026 means that you will have access to apply for Graduate Plus loans as these loans will be eliminated at the federal level starting in Fall 2026.

Contact Admissions (admissions@naropa.edu) today to learn how you can begin the next step in your graduate education journey.