A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Seth Viddal (BA Interdisciplinary Studies, ’19) describes his professional life following active duty as diverse, unpredictable, and exceptionally fun.“ I built classified communication networks for government intelligence agencies in Europe and Australia,” he says. “I developed and sold both residential and commercial real estate; I also founded and grew a commercial and industrial construction company.”
When you least expect it, life has a way of stopping you in your tracks. For Viddal, it was the 2016 experience of nearly dying of sepsis after a ruptured intestine, which was followed by the death of four beloved family members that same year.
Unsure of where he was on his path, several friends suggested that he look to Naropa University for inspiration. In the presence of Sycamore trees and the Allen Ginsberg Library during a campus tour, Viddal decided to enroll at Naropa as an Interdisciplinary Studies (INTD) major.
Cultivating mindfulness and compassion, nonattachment to outcome, and approaching life’s possibilities with a beginner's mind are the greatest lessons I received at Naropa.
“The Religious Studies and Contemplative Psychology programs contributed so much to my processing of the recent transformations in my life,” he says. “They also informed how I could serve others. The Social Innovation track allowed me to stay excited about entrepreneurship, and I was able to blend in rich ‘electives’ like photography, songwriting, and art.”
In the Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation class, he explored how disrupting the status quo could be incorporated into a business plan. Although he knew he wanted to work in end-of-life care, his specific plan was in the process of becoming. After completing a Green Building course, Viddal decided to focus his INTD capstone project on designing a hospice and palliative care facility.
Deeply impacted by a training about mindfulness in end-of-life care at Willow Farm Contemplative Center, he served as an intern there in the fall of his senior year. He currently serves on their board of directors and on their faculty.
During his final semester, Viddal interned at The Natural Funeral in Lafayette, Colorado, where he is now co-owner. “The holistic funeral home had not yet opened , and my background in construction and real estate development helped us open for business that semester,” Viddal says. “I fell deeply in love with the style of service that we provide to families. I’m on the path of empowering families to participate in natural death care.”
“Cultivating mindfulness and compassion, nonattachment to outcome, and approaching life’s possibilities with a beginner’s mind are the greatest lessons I received at Naropa.”
