Hometown: Tucson, AZ

Education: BA in History, Queen’s University

What was I doing before DRBU?
Before coming to DRBU, I was facilitating therapeutic programs and climate change classes at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, CA.

Influential class I’ve taken
Comparative Hermeneutics I & II have truly been life-altering. The challenges to old, persistent narratives, both personal and philosophical, engendered by that class played a large part of a turning point for me.

Influential book I’ve read
The Sixth Patriarch’s Diamond Platform Sutra.

How has DRBU changed me? 
I am learning to be more humble and to let go of the assumption that one way is universally best.

What surprised me about DRBU?
The sense of community I felt invited into has been continuously surprising and profoundly moving. I have also been struck by the amount of care and support offered by the administration – they truly go above and beyond.

Title of senior essay/a recent paper:
“Relationships Through the Lens of Heidegger.”

What is it about?
The application of Heidegger’s description of how human being’s experience language to the field of relationship.

What is it really about?
The ways in which I myself am distilling, from Heidegger’s expositions and our discussions in class, novel approaches and perspectives with which to engage my partner and confront tendencies of co-dependence.

What language are you taking? 
Chinese.

What’s your service scholarship (work study) job? 
I was working with Jin Chuan Shi, DRBU Chaplain, to more consciously create community and resolve conflict. I also cleaned, cooked, and worked on the restarting of the farm.

Do you have a daily practice— if so, what is it? 
Meditation, qigong, and yoga/stretching.

What do you do for fun? 
Rock climbing, working out, spending time with friends and my partner.

How has financial aid played a role in your being here? 
Absolutely – I would be unable to attend without the generous financial support I have received.

How does what you’re learning here carry out into the world?
There is so much…the thing I will speak on is a capacity and commitment to look deeper into things. It is an incredible training of the mind to be challenged each class to go deeper into what is presented and not to take things for granted.