Students Perspectives

Bernard Amadei, Ph.D.

Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder

Bernard established "Engineers Without Borders" (EWB-USA), an organization dedicated to helping rural areas in developing countries with their engineering needs, including water, sanitation, and energy systems.

Matthew Fox and UCS have helped me remember my place in the universe and helped me realize that my role is to teach others to do likewise. The University provides an oasis for those of us who work in the deserts of education, politics, religion, and other institutions that are sick. UCS is the greatest experiment in reinventing education that I have seen.

Gary "Buz" Hermes

Senior Outreach Coordinator, Spectrum Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns

Buz's work with Spectrum involves reaching out to LGBT seniors, many of whom are isolated and afraid to access needed services due to past experiences with homophobia. He develops relationships with senior agencies and gives them the background and sensitivity training to effectively reach out to this population.

The art as meditation part of the curriculum was a vital part of what attracted me to the school. It helped me integrate my background in art and design with my interest in human services. As part of my exploration of creative aging, I developed some arts workshops for seniors that encourages them to reflect on the challenges and opportunities of their elder years. Art has an amazing power to tap into a deeper wisdom and express things that are difficult to put into words.

Mahalia Pugatch

Minister (Sufi), Student, and Artist

By the end of the first week of classes at UCS I felt radically transformed. My perspective and the way in which I view the world were blasted open. In the 'Reinvention of Work' class, I began the process of finding my calling, instead of just doing my job. My core essence is now more aligned with what I do. The wisdom and information imparted through each outstanding and successive instructor continued this process of broadening and deepening, as a spiritual being who is bringing what is known within, out into the world.

Mike Devenney

Middle School Chaplain, Oregon Episcopal School

UCS is a life-changing university. It is there to turn you upside down&a place to grow&some of the most dangerous people I ever met are on the faculty of UCS.

UCS provides opportunity after opportunity after opportunity and I am still sifting through and looking for ways to use the learning in my own life. The experience of UCS has been so important to my own spirituality-it has transformed my work, my preaching, my teaching. I have become more confrontational and more gentle in my preaching. I think it is incredible that I now use Sufi stories to teach about Jesus.

Evie McDonald

Nurse epidomologist, UCSF Medical Center

As part of Evie's studies at Naropa, she conducted an independent project which involved exploring with the body and mind ways to renew the spirits of nurses working in crisis situations in very short segments of time during the work day. Evie and two other colleagues prepared a trial which involved 20-minute sessions of body-mind-spirit practice conducted in an acute care nursing clinic. This included acupuncture-based hand massage, flower essence therapy, and energy movement exercises. The feedback from these trials was "extremely positive and heart-opening," and Evie is currently looking for ways to expand the program in numbers and funding.

Naropa made education exciting, multi-demensional, and multi-sensorial. This education doesn't give you something to do, but rather it opens up paths, and gives you the courage and intellectual support to reinvent work and create your vision. Reinventing work suddenly becomes do-able and accessible at Naropa, it is where the seeds of courage are planted. It is life-altering.

Dolorme McKee Stovall

Human Relations Coordinator for A Hate Free Community, Santa Clara County

Delorme is the first full-time staff member for this organization, and her role is to coordinate activities, public education and community outreach, and to document and assist victims of hate crimes in the community. Delorme has faced an additional challenge recently in working to help victims of hate crimes stemming from the events of September 11, by providing civil rights information, mental health services and other resources to victims of such crimes.

Naropa is an incredible, life-changing experience. It is difficult to put into words the impact it has had on me. I am finally able to fully integrate spirituality into every facet of my life, where before it was very compartmentalized, brought out only for special occasions. Naropa has taught me to create balance in everything I do. I consider the work I do to be a complete ministry. Naropa's creation spirituality masters program has given me the tools to stay grounded, which is important as this job can be extremely stressful.

Rosanne Roberts

Entrepreneur-owner of a human resources consulting firm

I became much more empowered at Naropa. I found my voice. This experience allowed me to learn to walk in both worlds-spiritual and corporate. I came to accept the fact that it is important that I walk on both sides. I was able to bring a good deal of what I have learned to my corporate clients, as well. I believe this kind of degree is going to become much more popular and accepted in the next couple years. There is an integration going on. I believe that people are going to need what I learned at Naropa to help them change their institutions.