Press Releases

Congressional Candidate Jared Polis to Speak
at Naropa University 2008 Commencement

Event To Be Held at Macky Auditorium on May 10 at 3:00 PM   

 
                               
BOULDER, Colo. (May 6, 2008)—As the former chair of the Colorado State Board of Education and a current candidate to represent Colorado's second congressional district, Jared Polis will bring a wide-ranging knowledge of education and civic engagement to the podium when he speaks before Naropa University's 2008 graduating class on May 10.

"In a year where politics are taking center stage and when education has been such a major issue on the national scene," says Naropa University President Thomas B. Coburn, "the university is delighted to welcome a speaker who has been so deeply involved in both politics and education.  In addition, it takes courage and a willingness to shoulder large amounts of responsibility to enter the public arena, and these are qualities that we encourage in our students."

A graduate of Princeton University with a degree in political science, Polis has explored the business world as co-founder of bluemountainarts.com, a greeting card company, and ProFlowers.com, a company that sells flowers direct from growers to consumers.

Since his election to the state board of education in 2000, school systems have been central to Polis's community involvement. He has started a foundation and two charter schools that aim to make high-quality education accessible to everybody. His speech to the class of 2008 is entitled "A New Morality: The Art of Living Responsibly."

With 265 students set to receive a diploma this year, Naropa University's graduation ceremony will have a decidedly democratic touch by featuring a faculty speaker elected by the student body and, in turn, two student speakers elected by the faculty, a long-time Naropa tradition.

Naropa University commencement will be held in the Macky Auditorium, located on the University of Boulder campus, on May 10 . Doors will open at 2:40 p.m. Ceremonies start at 3 p.m. For additional information, please visit the university website at www.naropa.edu/campuslife/graduation_2008.cfm.

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Naropa University is a private, nonprofit, nonsectarian liberal arts institution dedicated to advancing contemplative education.  This approach to learning integrates the best of Eastern and Western educational traditions, helping students know themselves more deeply and engage constructively with others. The university comprises a four-year undergraduate college and graduate programs in the arts, education, environmental leadership, psychology and religious studies.